Karnataka tables ‘Eva Nammava’ Bill: How it aims to protect inter

The proposed law introduces nodal officers for immediate safety declarations and mandates fast-track trials for caste-based crimes, addressing gaps in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

The Karnataka government Wednesday tabled a pioneering piece of legislation in the Legislative Assembly aimed at addressing caste-based violence and protecting the constitutional right to choose a life partner.

Titled the Karnataka Freedom of Choice in Marriage and Prevention and Prohibition of Crimes in the Name of Honour and Tradition (Eva Nammava) Bill, 2026, the move fulfills a promise made by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in January following a string of brutal honour killings across the state.

The Bill’s title, Eva Nammava (meaning “He is ours”), draws from the philosophy of the 12th-century social reformer Basavanna, signalling a cultural shift toward inclusivity.

The draft of the proposed legislation notes that despite existing criminal laws, caste-based discrimination continues to manifest in “brutal forms of violence” against young adults exercising their right to marry outside their caste.

While there are existing provisions against murder and violence under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), “these provisions did not adequately address the specific social motive of preserving perceived ‘caste honour’ or the wide range of coercive practices,” the draft says.

The legislation is being proposed as existing laws lacked proactive mechanisms to protect couples at risk, to ensure mandatory police intervention, fast-track adjudication of honour killing cases and securing civil rights such as inheritance to the inter-caste couple.

The Bill aims to “provide freedom of choice in marriage and prevention and prohibition of caste-based crimes”, prevent violations of human rights, “bring honour to inter-caste marriage”, and prevent enforced caste-based discrimination in individual choices.

It also provides for the couple to declare, in oral or written form, to the nodal officers appointed under the provisions of the Bill, their willingness to be together.

The police will ensure their security once the couple provide a declaration to the nodal officer appointed by the district deputy commissioner.

In addition to the general provisions against violence under BNS, those involved in honour killings will face a minimum prison sentence of five years.

Anyone who causes harm to either partner in the name of honour will receive a three-year prison sentence, along with a fine of up to three years, once the Bill is passed.

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