Uttarakhand becomes first state to implement the Uniform Civil Code

The Uttarakhand Assembly on Wednesday passed the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) bill during a special four-day session, nearly two years after a committee was formed to draft the Bill.  After passing the UCC Bill in the Assembly, Uttarakhand has become the first state in the country to implement the Uniform Civil Code.

With the Bill passed by the state Assembly, Uttarakhand will become the first state since Independence to institute a UCC (Goa has had one since it was a Portuguese territory).

Speaking on the law, Chief Minister Puskar Singh Dhami stated that UCC will guarantee everyone's right to equality in areas such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, and maintenance.

The bill contains the laws relating to marriage, divorce, succession, live-in relationships, and related matters. The Uniform Civil Code Bill is one of the several proposals that requires live-in relationships to be registered with the government. 

The law also establishes a consistent divorce procedure and outright prohibits underage marriage. Women of all religions are granted equal rights in their ancestral property under the Code. The UCC Bill states that in every community, a person must be 21 years old for males and 18 for women to be married. 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. 

• Uttarakhand
• Uttarakhand Assembly
• Uniform Civil Code