NEW DELHI: President Ram Nath Kovind has given Lieutenant Governor (LG) of Ladakh RK Mathur the authority to execute the powers and perform the tasks of the state government within the Union Territory under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955.

The statement was issued through a notification from the Ministry of Home Affairs on Wednesday.

"In accordance with clause (1) of Article 239 of the Constitution, the President hereby directs that the Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territory of Ladakh shall exercise the powers and discharge the functions of the State Government under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 (25 of 1955) within the said Union Territory, subject to the control of the President and until further orders," read the notification.

The Hindu Marriage Act was passed by the Indian Parliament in 1955. The act's principal goal was to reform and codify the rules governing marriage between Hindus and others.

This Act thus applies to Hindus by religion in any of its forms, as well as Hindus in the broadest sense, such as Buddhists, Jains, or Sikhs, and, in fact, to all persons domiciled in the country who are not Muslims, Christians, Parsis, or Jews, unless it can be proven that they are not governed by the Act under any custom or usage. Only if a Hindu is domiciled in India's territory does the Act apply to Hindus living outside the country.

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