Explanation: Special Marriage Act (SMA), 1954: The Act is an Indian law that provides a legal framework for the marriage of people belonging to different religions or castes.

• It governs a civil marriage where the state sanctions the marriage rather than the religion.
• The Indian system, where both civil and religious marriages are recognized, is similar to the laws in the UK’s Marriage Act of 1949.
• The applicability of the Act extends to the people of all faiths, including Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Sikhs, Jains, and Buddhists, across India.

Source: FORUMIAS