The Uttarakhand BJP government, as part of its election manifesto, is set to initiate the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) by convening a special session of the Assembly in January. The state’s finance minister, Premchand Agrawal, confirmed that the government plans to present the state reservation bill and the UCC bill during the special session. The UCC Bill is expected to be passed in the assembly, marking a significant step toward uniform laws governing marriage, divorce, inheritance, and adoption across different religious communities. The proposed legislation aims to establish consistency in personal laws and promote gender equality, ensuring equal rights for daughters in ancestral property.
Scheduled for the last week of January, the special session coincides with the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22. Uttarakhand will become the first state in the country to implement such a law, as the UCC was previously applicable only in Goa, where it has been in force since before independence. The Uttarakhand government formed an expert committee in May 2022 to scrutinize laws related to personal matters and implement the UCC in the state. Chaired by Justice Ranjana Desai, the committee received input from various stakeholders, emphasizing the need for uniform laws regarding the number of children per family across all communities. Once implemented, the UCC will promote legal consistency and equality in personal matters in Uttarakhand.
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