The Union Cabinet of India has approved the introduction in Rajya Sabha the Registration of Marriage of Non-Resident Indian (NRI) Bill, 2019. The bill empowers passport authorities to impound or revoke passport or travel documents of NRIs who fail to register their marriage in India or Indian Missions & Posts within 30 days of getting married in India or abroad. The Bill is an outcome of a joint initiative of the Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Women and Child Development, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Law and Justice. The objective of the Bill is to create more accountability and offer more protection against the exploitation of Indian women by their NRI spouses. It envisages (i) Registration of Marriages by Non-Resident Indians; (ii) Amendment of the Passports Act 1967 and (iii) Amendment to the Code of Criminal Procedure 1973. The introduction of the Bill was necessitated by the Ministry of External Affairs due to numerous complaints received from Indian nationals mostly women deserted or harassed by their Non-Resident Indian Spouses. It also provides provisions for attachment of properties belonging to the NRI, if he does not appear before the Court and is declared as Proclaimed Offender by the Court. The Bill proposes to offer greater protection to Indian women married to NRIs and serve as a deterrent to NRIs against harassment of their spouses. The Bill if passed would provide much-needed relief to all Indian women married to NRIs worldwide.