 the sikh gurdwaras (amendment) bill, 2016 a bill further to amend the sikh gurdwaras act, 1925be it enacted by parliament in the sixty-seventh year of the republic of india as follow:— 1 (1) this act may be called the sikh gurdwaras (amendment) act, 2016(2) it shall  be deemed to have come into force from 8th october, 2003short title and commencement amendment of section 495punjab act viii of 19252 in the sikh gurdwaras act, 1925 (hereinafter referred to as the principal act), in section 49 for the proviso, the following proviso shall be substituted, namely:—"provided that no person shall be registered as an elector who—(a) trims or shaves his beard or keshas;(b) smokes; and (c) takes alcoholic drinks"10amendment of section 923 in section 92 of the principal act, for the proviso, the following proviso shall be substituted, namely:—"provided that no person shall be registered as an elector who—(a) trims or shaves his beard or keshas;(b) smokes; and (c) takes alcoholic drinks" statement of objects and reasonsin exercise of the powers conferred by section 72 of the punjab re-organisation act,1966, the central government vide notification no so 1190(e) dated 08th october, 2003, modified the provisos to the section 49 and section 92 of the sikh gurdwaras act, 1925 (punjab act viii of 1925) thereby removing the exemption given to sahjdhari sikhs to enable them to vote in the elections to the members of the board and the committee constituted under the sikh gurdwaras act, 1925 however, the said notification was quashed by the high court of pubjab and haryana, vide  judgment dated 20th december, 2011, leaving it for the appropriate and competent legislature to decide to amend or not to amend the said act2 the bill proposes to amend the provisos to section 49 and section 92 of the sikh gurdwaras act, 1925 retrospectively with effect from 08th october, 2003 for removing the exemption given to sahjdhari sikhs3 the bill seeks to achieve the above objectivenew delhi;rajnath  singhthe 14th march, 2016 annexure extracts from the sikh gurdwaras act, 1925 (punjab act viii of 1925)qualifications of electors49 every person shall be entitled to have his name registered on the electoral roll of a constituency constituted for the election of a member or members of the board who is a resident in that constituency and either—$(i)$ $\otimes$(ii) is a sikh more than twenty-one years of age, who has had his name registered as a voter in such manner as may be prescribed:provided that no person shall be registered as an elector who—(a) trims or shaves his beard or keshas except in case of sehjdhari;(b) smokes; (c) takes alcoholic drinksqualification of electors92 every person shall be entitled to have his name registered on the electoral roll of a constituency for the election of a member or members of a committee or of a local committee who is a resident in that constituency, and either—$(i)$ $\otimes$(ii) is a sikh more than twenty-one years of age and has had his name registered as a voter in such manner as may be prescribed:provided that no person shall be registered as an elector who—(a) trims or shaves his beard or keshas except in case of sehjdhari sikhs;(b) smokes; and (c) takes alcoholic drinks rajya  sabha———— a billfurther to amend the sikh gurdwaras act, 1925————(shri rajnath singh, minister of home affairs)gmgipmrnd—5058rs(s3)—14-03-2016