Rajasthan passes strict new law against illegal religious conversions
Rajasthan just passed a strict new law cracking down on illegal religious conversions.
The Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill, 2025, hands out serious jail time—ranging from 7 to 14 years for fraudulent conversions, 10 to 20 years for conversions involving minors, women, SC/ST, or persons with disabilities, and up to life imprisonment for mass conversions or repeat offenders—for anyone found guilty of forcing or tricking someone into changing their religion through things like fraud, allurement, marriage for the purpose of conversion, or trafficking.
Law requires voluntary converts to give 60 days' notice
This law especially protects groups seen as more vulnerable—like minors, women, Scheduled Castes and Tribes, and people with disabilities—with even tougher penalties: up to 20 years in prison and hefty fines starting at ₹10 lakh.
Mass conversions can mean life behind bars and fines of at least ₹25 lakh.
Voluntary converts now have to give 60 days' notice to local officials.
Rajasthan joins 11 other states with similar laws aimed at preventing coercion and keeping social harmony.
For anyone facilitating a conversion, the burden's now on them to prove it was done legally—and these cases are non-bailable and taken very seriously by the courts.