Uttarakhand is set to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) on January 27, making it the first Indian state to introduce such a law since independence. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami will launch a dedicated UCC portal for residents on the same day, with the official notification scheduled for release. According to Chief Minister’s Secretary Shailesh Bagoli, all government departments have been informed about the implementation. The new law will introduce significant changes to marriage registration, live-in relationships, and the legal status of children born from such unions, aiming to bring uniformity and clarity to personal laws across the state.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has lauded the UCC as a transformative step for Uttarakhand, calling it a “glorious era” for its people. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Premchand Agarwal emphasized that the law will eliminate discrimination based on religion, caste, and tradition, positioning the state as a model for the rest of the country. He likened the UCC’s impact to the purifying waters of the Ganges, bringing legal uniformity and equal rights. The new code will unify laws related to marriage, divorce, property, and family across all religions, replacing existing legal frameworks such as the Hindu Marriage Act, the Hindu Succession Act, and the Muslim Personal Law Application Act.
Key provisions of the UCC include banning practices like polygamy, polyandry, ‘halala,’ ‘iddat,’ and triple talaq while mandating marriage registration. Citizens who have already registered their marriages after March 27, 2010, will only need to update their records. BJP MLA Kishore Upadhyay addressed concerns raised by the Congress regarding tribal community exclusions, explaining that legal constraints exist due to central government regulations. However, he noted that future inclusion could be considered if tribal communities reach a consensus on the matter.
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