Uttarakhand Inter-Caste/Inter-Religious Marriage Award Scheme

Scheme Introduction: A Brief Overview

Marrying outside your caste or faith in India still takes courage. Families object, communities gossip, and couples often begin married life with very little backing. The Uttarakhand Inter-Caste / Inter-Religious Marriage Award Scheme (Uttarakhand Antarjatiya / Antardharmik Vivah Puraskar Yojana) is the state's way of standing with these couples - a one-time cash award of ₹50,000 handed to a newly married pair, either where one partner belongs to a Scheduled Caste and the other to a different community, or where the two partners follow different religions.

Run by the Uttarakhand Social Welfare Department (Samaj Kalyan Vibhag), the scheme is not a brand-new announcement. It traces back to the old Uttar Pradesh Antarjatiya/Antardharmik Vivah Protsahan Niyamawali of 1976, which Uttarakhand carried forward after it became a separate state in 2000. The reward amount, originally a modest ₹10,000, was raised to ₹50,000 in 2014 and continues at that level under the state programme.

At its heart, this is a one-time award given jointly to the couple, and it must be claimed within one year of the marriage. The most important recent development shaping the scheme is the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), which came into force in Uttarakhand on 27 January 2025. The UCC makes marriage registration compulsory across the state, so the registered marriage certificate this award depends on is now something every married couple in Uttarakhand will already hold - one less hurdle between an eligible couple and their claim.

If you or someone in your family has recently entered an inter-caste or inter-faith marriage in Uttarakhand, the sections that follow walk you through exactly what you get, who qualifies, what paperwork you need, and how to claim it.

Scheme Benefits

The core benefits of the scheme are given below:

• One-time joint cash incentive of ₹50,000 provided to the eligible couple.
• The amount is paid jointly (not separately to each partner).
• Credited to a joint CBS bank account that is linked or seeded with Aadhaar.
• Available only once per couple (cannot be claimed for a second or subsequent marriage).

Eligibility Requirements

The conditions differ slightly depending on whether the marriage is inter-caste or inter-religious.

• The couple should be residents of Uttarakhand (proof of domicile is required).
• Both partners must be Indian citizens and of legal marriageable age - the bride at least 18 and the groom at least 21.
• For an inter-caste marriage: one spouse should belong to a Scheduled Caste (as recognised under Article 341 of the Constitution) and the other to a different community.
• For an inter-religious (inter-faith) marriage: both partners must be Indian citizens with a lawfully registered marriage between two different religions.
• The application must be filed within one year of the marriage.

Required Documents

Keep clear, self-attested copies of the following ready before you apply:

• Date-of-birth proof of both the bride and groom (any one of: High School certificate, birth certificate, family register extract, or Aadhaar card).
• Registered marriage certificate issued by the competent registrar
• Caste certificate for the Scheduled Caste spouse (for inter-caste cases).
• Domicile/residence certificate of Uttarakhand.
• Joint bank account passbook details linked with Aadhaar.
• A joint photograph of the couple and individual passport-size photographs.
• A signed affidavit/declaration confirming the marriage details and that it is a first marriage where applicable.

Steps to Apply

The award is applied for offline, through the district administration. Simply follow the steps below:

• Obtain the application form from the office of the District Social Welfare Officer in your district.
• Fill the form carefully and attach all required documents.
• Submit the completed application to the District Social Welfare Officer.
• The officer scrutinises the application and forwards it with the District Magistrate's recommendation to the Directorate for government approval.
• On approval, the incentive is disbursed into the couple's joint Aadhaar-linked bank account.

Relevant Links

• Uttarakhand's Inter-Caste / Inter-Religious Marriage Award Scheme Notification Link
• Uttarakhand Inter-Caste / Inter-Religious Marriage Award Scheme Application Form
• Uttarakhand Social Welfare Department Portal
• Uttarakhand e-Services portal

Contact Information

• Social Welfare Department Contact Link