by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – In a move that appears to violate India’s constitutionally protected right to freedom of religion, the Hindu-nationalist-led state of Rajasthan has approved an anti-conversion law that provides prison terms for anyone who “unduly influences” a person to change their religion and requires citizens who want to change their faith to inform authorities 60 days in advance, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.
Rajasthan will become India’s 12th state to have anti-conversion legislation if the bill is passed by the state legislature during the winter assembly session. Notably, such laws in other Indian states have been abused to severely harass and persecute Christians.
Titled the Rajasthan Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill 2024, the anti-conversion law provides that people found to have suffered unlawful conversions can be compensated up to 500,000 Indian rupees (about $590), while offenders may be imprisoned for up to 10 years, ICC explains in its report.
“It also stipulates that any individual who wishes to convert to another religion must notify the district authority at least 60 days in advance. Then, a notice of 30 days must be given for any ceremony for the conversion. Then again, after the conversion, the person concerned must inform the collector through an affidavit within 60 days,” ICC reports.
“These three layers of the conversion process make it formidable and controversial and could also likely contradict the country’s constitutional right to freedom of religion,” ICC notes.
The Indian states that already have anti-conversion laws in place are Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh.
Ruled by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party since 2014, India ranks 11 on the Open Doors World Watch List 2024 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
More Worthy News
The United States has agreed to work with Japan, Mexico and the European Union to secure supply chains for critical minerals vital to defense, energy and advanced manufacturing, the Trump administration announced Wednesday.
Authorities are investigating a suspected biological laboratory discovered inside a Las Vegas residence, with potential links to a previously uncovered unauthorized lab in California.
White House border czar Tom Homan announced a partial drawdown of federal immigration personnel in Minnesota, saying the move reflects “unprecedented cooperation” from local communities and state authorities following weeks of unrest tied to immigration enforcement operations.
U.S., Russian, and Ukrainian diplomats convened this week in Abu Dhabi for a second round of trilateral peace talks aimed at ending Moscow’s four-year war against Kyiv, marking a rare continuation of direct negotiations between the two sides.
In one of its first closely watched cases, Pakistan’s newly established Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) ruled that an underage Christian girl should remain with her “Muslim husband” despite concerns about her age and religious rights, Christians confirmed to Worthy News on Wednesday.
Horrifying accounts continue to emerge from Iran after last month’s violent crackdown on anti-government protests, with activists and rights groups describing scenes of extreme brutality and alleging killings that reportedly continued even inside hospitals and detention centers.
Indonesia has pledged to crack down on alleged stock manipulation and accelerate financial reforms to restore investor confidence after a sharp market selloff raised concerns about transparency in Southeast Asia’s largest economy.