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
President Donald Trump appears prepared to let Iran’s worsening economic crisis intensify rather than immediately launch another major military offensive, as the Islamic Republic struggles with a collapsing currency, soaring inflation, disrupted trade and growing pressure from a U.S. naval blockade.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday formally launched a national artificial intelligence initiative aimed at making Israel one of the world’s leading AI powers, declaring that the Jewish state intends to help shape the technological future rather than merely respond to it.
Overnight drone and missile strikes killed at least eight people and injured dozens more in Ukraine and Russia on Sunday as both sides stepped up strikes in the more than four-year-long war.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday formally rejected a U.S.-backed 15-point plan for Gaza, declaring that Israeli forces will not withdraw from territory in the Strip until Hamas undergoes what he called complete and genuine disarmament.
Australian aviation authorities launched an investigation Sunday after a Jetstar passenger plane and a Qatar Airways Boeing 777 narrowly avoided colliding at Sydney Airport, injuring a cabin crew member in the second near-miss at the airport within two weeks, amid mounting concerns about air traffic control staffing and safety.
Europe’s record-breaking heatwaves are exposing vulnerabilities in electricity systems increasingly dependent on weather-driven renewable energy as part of the European Union’s green agenda.
Two Christians, including a young man and a father of four, have been killed in separate attacks in Pakistan, highlighting growing concern about violence and discrimination facing the Christian minority in the Islamic nation, well-informed sources told Worthy News on Sunday.