Uttarakhand Assembly Passes Bill Implementing Uniform Civil Code: Significant Step Toward Legal Equality

The Uttarakhand Assembly has made history by unanimously passing the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill 2024 after a two-day debate, marking a significant milestone, according to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. Dhami stressed the importance of this legislation in establishing a unified legal framework for all citizens.

While the Congress expressed qualified support, proposing referral to a select committee for further deliberation, amendments suggested by the opposition were not entertained. Dhami underscored the extensive public consultations, which engaged nearly 10% of households and gathered input from 2.32 lakh individuals, informing the bill's drafting process.

The UCC aims to promote equality in various legal aspects such as marriage, maintenance, adoption, succession, and divorce, aligning with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to eliminate discrimination and violence against women. Notably, Scheduled Tribes have been exempted to safeguard their customs.

The bill includes provisions for women's equal rights in inheritance, adoption, divorce, and prohibits polygamy. It mandates the registration of marriages, live-in relationships, and divorces, setting the marriageable age at 18 for women and 21 for men.

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Additionally, the House passed a bill providing reservation in government jobs for those involved in the statehood agitation, following the submission of the draft report by the five-member UCC committee chaired by retired Supreme Court judge Ranjana Desai to CM Dhami.

The UCC, a component of the non-justiciable directive principles of state policy in the Constitution, aims to harmonize personal laws across various religions and tribes, addressing issues such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, and maintenance. The passage of both bills led to the adjournment of the House sine die