Ksmart
Prepare yourself for Digital India
Recently, a couple I know suddenly realised—after 15 years of marriage—that a marriage certificate is actually an essential document. Back then, they had abandoned the application process halfway, partly because of the heavy “sludge” involved and partly because they believed that marriage is a bond of trust, far beyond the need for a piece of paper.
If the process felt slow and complicated 15 years ago, what could they expect today? The couple lives in Kerala. They recalled how things were back then: they had to visit the municipal corporation where the marriage took place, bring two witnesses, a wedding photograph, details of the auditorium where the ceremony was held, and fill out a lengthy form. They tried doing this “half-heartedly,” but eventually gave up due to multiple human touchpoints that behaved differently each time, and because they were not motivated to “request” officials repeatedly.
Now, however, the absence of a marriage certificate has become a real problem. What could they do?
While searching for a solution, they came across KSmart, the Kerala Government’s digital platform for citizen services. The husband registered on the platform using Aadhaar authentication.
Among the many available services, they selected “Marriage Certificate.”
They filled in the required details and completed Aadhaar authentication for themselves and their two witnesses.
At the end, they had to submit a declaration, upload proof of identity and address from before the marriage, attach a declaration attested by a gazetted officer, and pay a fee of 300 rupees.
The only step that took some time was obtaining the gazetted officer’s signature; everything else was done in under 30 minutes, from the comfort of their home. Four days later, they received the digital copy of the certificate, and a few days after that, the hard copy arrived by mail.
I believe this process should be built into the wedding ceremony itself. The online form could be pre-filled. Immediately after the marriage ceremony, the bride and groom could complete the digital declaration in front of the gathering, and the digital marriage certificate could be issued within a few days.