Chapter I§1–3
Preliminary
Three opening sections. §1 names the Act and fixes its territorial extent (now the whole of India after the 2019 J&K reorganisation, with limited historical carve-outs). §2 was repealed by the Repealing Act, 1938. §3 is the dictionary — defining 'Church of England', 'Church of Scotland', 'Church of Rome', 'Church', 'India', 'minor' (under 21 and not a widow/widower), 'Christians', 'Indian Christians' and the 'Registrar General of Births, Deaths and Marriages'.
3 sections · MVP coverage
Short title and extent
Names the Act and extends it to the whole of India (Travancore-Cochin and Manipur historically excluded; J&K exclusion removed in 2019).
Short title.—This Act may be called the Indian Christian Marriage Act, 1872.
Extent.—It extends to the whole of India except the territories which, immediately before the 1st November, 1956, were comprised in the States of Travancore-Cochin, Manipur and [Jammu and Kashmir, omitted by Act 34 of 2019].
Enactments repealed
Repealed by the Repealing Act, 1938.
[Enactments repealed.]—Rep. by the Repealing Act, 1938 (1 of 1938), s. 2 and the Schedule.
Interpretation clause
Dictionary section — defines Church of England, Church of Scotland, Church of Rome, Church, India, minor (under 21 and not widowed), Christians, Indian Christians and the Registrar General of Births, Deaths and Marriages.
Interpretation clause.—In this Act, unless there is something repugnant in the subject or context,—
"Church of England" and "Anglican".—mean and apply to the Church of England as by law established; "Church of Scotland".—means the Church of Scotland as by law established; "Church of Rome" and "Roman Catholic".—mean and apply to the Church which regards the Pope of Rome as its spiritual head; "Church".—includes any chapel or other building generally used for public Christian worship; "India".—means the territories to which this Act extends; "minor".—"minor" means a person who has not completed the age of twenty-one years and who is not a widower or a widow; the expression "Christians" means persons professing the Christian religion; and the expression "Indian Christians" includes the Christian descendants of natives of India converted to Christianity, as well as such converts; "Registrar General of Births, Deaths and Marriages".—means a Registrar General of Births, Deaths and Marriages appointed under the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act, 1886 (6 of 1886).