DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand cabinet on Monday approved the rules & regulations for the Uniform Civil Code, paving the way for its implementation in the next 10 days. With this, Uttarakhand is set to become the first state in the country to adopt UCC since Independence.
“We will soon announce the date for implementation. It will be a big change, which will start from Uttarakhand and spread to other states,” chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami told TOI. While he did not specify the exact date, sources indicated that the code may be rolled out on Jan 26 or 28. Dhami added that the training of over 2,000 govt employees has already been completed, and the trial run is expected to conclude in the coming days.
UCC law includes seven schedules and 392 sections, addressing critical issues such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, and live-in relationships. It aims to eliminate practices like polygamy, polyandry, halala, iddat, and talaaq. The code also ensures equal property rights for all children and protects the rights of unborn children. According to the new rules, marriages and divorces conducted since 2010 must be registered within six months of the law’s notification. Similarly, marriages must be recorded within two months to avoid penalties, while live-in relationships and separations must be registered within 30 days.
Asked about any changes to the report submitted by the rules and regulations panel in Oct 2024, home secretary Shailesh Bagauli told TOI, “Around 80-90% of the report has been retained, and the law’s essence remains unchanged. At the same time, it needs to be understood that rules are subordinate legislation and only define the procedures for implementing the Act. Rules cannot amend the Act.”
