Uttarakhand Set To Pioneer Uniform Civil Code Legislation

The Uttarakhand Assembly is poised to approve the Uniform Civil Code Bill on Wednesday, positioning the BJP-governed state as the first in India to enact such legislation. Presented by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Tuesday, the bill is scheduled for deliberation during today's session.

Given the BJP's dominance with 47 seats in the 70-member assembly, the bill is anticipated to pass smoothly.

During the bill's introduction in the assembly, ruling party members vocalized slogans such as "Bharat Mata ki Jai," "Vande Mataram," and "Jai Shri Ram," while opposition members, led by the Congress, objected, asserting that proper procedures were disregarded in introducing the legislation and requesting additional time for scrutiny.

Before tabling the bill, Chief Minister Dhami expressed, "It is a moment of pride for all the people of the state that we will be known as the first state in the country to move towards implementing UCC."

Key provisions of the UCC bill include equal property rights for sons and daughters, abolition of distinctions between legitimate and illegitimate children, recognition of adopted and biological children on equal footing, and equal property rights post-death.

The bill also mandates the registration of live-in relationships, granting legitimacy to children born from such unions and entitling deserted women to maintenance from their partners.

Additionally, the bill proposes a blanket prohibition on polygamy and child marriage, uniform marriageable age for girls across all faiths, and standardization of grounds and procedures for divorce.

The proposed law exempts the small tribal community of the hill state.

With the Uttarakhand Uniform Civil Code bill's passage, the BJP achieves a significant political objective with only months remaining until the Lok Sabha elections.