Uttarakhand Assembly Passes Historic Uniform Civil Code Bill

Uttarakhand Clears Uniform Civil Code Bill: With this, Uttarakhand has become the first state in the country to implement the Uniform Civil Code.

Dehradun: In a significant development, the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly on Wednesday unanimously passed the landmark Uniform Civil Code Bill. The bill was passed amid chanting of “Jai Shri Ram” slogans on the third day of the special session of the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly during which several Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, including Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, strongly supported the bill.  

With this, Uttarakhand has become the first state in the country to implement the Uniform Civil Code. The Bill will now awaits Governor Gurmit Singh's nod to become law in Uttarakhand. 

The Uniform Civil Code Uttarakhand 2024 Bill, introduced by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami-led state government, passed in the House.

After passing the UCC Bill in the Assembly, Uttarakhand has become the first state in the country to implement the Uniform Civil Code. pic.twitter.com/LKx8gTLr5w

— ANI (@ANI) February 7, 2024

The Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill, proposing uniform laws for marriage, divorce, land, property, and inheritance in Uttarakhand, was introduced in the Uttarakhand Assembly on Tuesday by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, thus fulfilling a promise made ahead of the 2022 assembly elections.

After the passage of the bill in the state assembly, CM Dhami said, "The law will ensure uniformity and equality in the state. There were many doubts regarding this but the two-day discussion in the assembly clarified everything. This law is not against anyone. It is for women who have to face difficulty because of social norms. This will boost their self-confidence. This law is for the holistic development of women. The bill is passed. We will send it to the President. We will implement it in the state as a law as soon as the President signs it." 

CM Dhami also credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for providing guidance and inspiration. "With the guidance and inspiration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, today, we are going to fulfil a promise that we made to the people of the state before the 2022 assembly elections to bring a Uniform Civil Code in the state," CM Dhami said.

#WATCH | Dehradun: In the Uttarakhand Assembly, CM Pushkar Singh Dhami speaks on UCC, "The Uniform Civil Code will give the right to equality to everyone without any discrimination on matters like marriage, maintenance, inheritance and divorce... The UCC will mainly remove the… pic.twitter.com/DKnANXBmsN

— ANI (@ANI) February 7, 2024

"Our government, taking all sections of the society along with full responsibility, today presented the Uniform Civil Code Bill in the Assembly. The historic moment is near for Devbhoomi when Uttarakhand will become a strong pillar of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat'," he added.

Uttarakhand Minister Prem Chand Aggarwal said the UCC Committee conducted an exhaustive process, holding 72 meetings and receiving suggestions from over 2,72,000 individuals through emails and WhatsApp. Support for the UCC Bill was voiced by various members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Uniform Civil Code: Know More

The bill contains the laws relating to marriage, divorce, succession, live-in relationships, and related matters. Among the many proposals, the Uniform Civil Code Bill makes it compulsory for live-in relationships to be registered under the law. Once the proposed UCC Bill is in place, "live-in relationships" will have to get registered under the law within 1 month from the "date of entering into the relationship".

To live in a live-in relationship, adults will have to obtain consent from their parents. The bill also imposes a complete ban on child marriage and introduces a uniform process for divorce. The Code provides equal rights to women of all religions in their ancestral property.

As per the UCC Bill, the age for marriage will be 18 for women and 21 for men in all communities. Marriage registration is mandatory in all religions and marriages without registration will be invalid. No divorce petition will be allowed to be filed after one year of marriage.

Highlighting the ceremonies for marriage, the proposed UCC Bill noted that marriage may be solemnised or contracted between a man and a woman in accordance with religious beliefs, practices, customary rites and ceremonies, including but not limited to "Saptapadt", "Ashirvad", "Nikah", "Holy Union," and "Anand Karaj" under the Anand Marriage Act 1909, as well as under, but not limited to, The Special Marriage Act, 1954 and the Arya Marriage Validation Act, 1937.

However, nothing contained in the proposed UCC Bill will be applied to the members of any Scheduled Tribes within the meaning of clause (25) of Article 366 read with Article 342 of the Constitution of India and the persons and group of persons whose customary rights are protected under Part XXI of the Constitution of India.