Maharashtra State Commission for Women takes ‘serious note’ of panel to track interfaith marriages

The Maharashtra government’s decision to set up a state-level committee to ‘monitor’ interfaith marriages has not gone down well with women activists and NGOs in the state.

3 min readPuneUpdated: Dec 21, 2022 07:14 AM IST

Senior women activists met MSCW chairperson Rupali Chakankar and members Rupwate and Advocate Gauri Chabria on December 19. (Express Photo)

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Maharashtra State Commission for Women takes ‘serious note’ of panel to track interfaith marriages

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The Maharashtra State Commission for Women (MSCW) has taken “serious note” of the state government’s new Government Resolution on setting up a state-level committee to ‘monitor’ interfaith marriages.

“After meeting and hearing the concerns of the activists and receiving their written appeals, we have taken serious note of the same and will initiate the necessary communication with the state government,” MSCW member Utkarsha Rupwate told The Indian Express.

Also Read | Maharashtra’s Interfaith Marriage Panel: The patriarchal state and unlearnt lessons from Partition

“On any policy, decision or Government Resolution being issued by the state government that concerns any issue related to women, the state government is expected to consult/inform/take feedback from the state commission for women. But in this particular Government Resolution, the MSCW has not been approached at all,” Rupwate said.

Senior women activists and representatives of more than 14 NGOs met MSCW chairperson Rupali Chakankar and members Rupwate and Advocate Gauri Chabria on December 19 and demanded that the state Government Resolution be immediately withdrawn as it violates the rights and freedoms guaranteed in the Constitution of India to every citizen.

The Government Resolution issued by the Maharashtra Women and Child Development Department on December 13 said that the “inter-faith marriage-family coordination committee (state level)” will primarily look into tabulating data on the number of marriages in existence and look into issues faced by women.

“If this Government Resolution aims to protect and promote the rights of women and the institution of family, reinstate dialogue in bereaved families, there are enough laws, sections of the Indian Penal Code and support systems like counselling centres, support centres to play this role. Instead of strengthening these existing systems, convening an ad-hoc committee only raises doubts about the intentions of the move. Interestingly, individuals across religious communities, caste, languages and within same caste, community, religion, languages may have different (negative) experiences, then why single out only inter-religious marriages?” activists have said.

The activists said the Government Resolution intrudes into the privacy of an individual, adding that there is no supporting research or data to support the need for it.

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Meanwhile, a public protest was held in Pune on Monday evening by the Stree Mukti Andolan Sampark Samiti and various other groups. Manisha Gupte, one of the convenors of the Samiti, said that laws should be properly implemented to protect citizens’ right to safety while they enter, stay in or exit any relationship. The state should guarantee this right to everyone, irrespective of caste, religion, gender or sexuality, Gupte added.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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