Goa Cabinet clears anti-conversion Bill, to be tabled in upcoming Assembly session
Under the Bill, unlawful conversion of a minor, a person with disabilities, a woman, or a member of the Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes would attract rigorous imprisonment of 5 to 14 years along with a minimum fine of ₹1 lakh, the official added.
The Goa Cabinet has given its approval to a Bill aimed at curbing religious conversion, with stringent penalties including life imprisonment and substantial fines, officials have announced. The proposed legislation, titled the Goa Prohibition of Unlawful Conversions of Religion Bill, 2026, will be introduced during the State Assembly's monsoon session, which is scheduled to commence on August 31, 2026.
The Bill targets acts of conversion deemed to be accomplished through coercion, undue influence, allurement, fraudulent means, or marriage. Penalties could include fines of at least ₹50,000 and compensation payments of up to ₹5 lakh for victims. The legislation also seeks to declare marriages void if they were conducted solely for the purpose of conversion.
Notably, the Bill imposes minimum 10-year imprisonment for offenders, including religious leaders such as Hindu priests and Muslim clerics. Under the proposed law, the unlawful conversion of vulnerable groups - including minors, individuals with disabilities, women, and members of Scheduled Castes or Tribes - carries a sentence of 5 to 14 years in rigorous imprisonment, along with a minimum fine of ₹1 lakh.
Goa is not alone in adopting such measures; several other states like Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Himachal Pradesh have already enacted similar anti-conversion laws.
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