Rajasthan Govt Introduces Anti-Conversion Bill; Jail Up To 10 Years For Violation

According to the proposed bill, the violators can face up to 10 years in jail and a fine of up to Rs 50,000.

(Representative image/ANI)

The Rajasthan government on Monday introduced the Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill, 2025 in the state Assembly. The bill makes religious conversion by force, fraud, coercion, or marriage a punishable offence.

The offence will be cognisable and non-bailable. Violators can face up to 10 years in jail and a fine of up to Rs 50,000. A court will handle these cases.

Health Minister Gajendra Singh Khinvsar tabled the bill during the ongoing Budget Session. The House will debate and vote on it before passage.

The bill proposes a jail term of one to five years and a fine of ₹15,000 for violators. If the victim is a minor, woman, or belongs to a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe, the punishment increases to two to ten years in jail and a fine of ₹25,000.

For mass conversions, the bill sets a jail term of three to ten years and a fine of ₹50,000.

According to the propose bill, those wishing to change their religion must inform the District Magistrate 60 days in advance through a formal declaration.

The bill states that India's Constitution guarantees religious freedom to all and aims to uphold secularism.

However, in recent years, several cases have emerged where people were unlawfully converted to another religion through fraud, coercion, force, or inducements.

While many states already have laws protecting religious freedom, Rajasthan had no such statute. To address this, the government decided to introduce a law prohibiting illegal conversions.

The bill also allows courts to order compensation of up to ₹5 lakh for victims. Repeat offenders will face double the punishment.