DEHRADUN: With the training of govt employees, mock drills and dry-run sessions complete, Uttarakhand is finally set to introduce the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) on Monday. Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami will launch the official portal and issue a notification marking the implementation of the civil code, making Uttarakhand the first state in India post-independence to adopt such a law, a communique issued by the state govt on Saturday, said.
“The UCC’s implementation represents a significant milestone, making the Himalayan state the first in the country to adopt this progressive legislation since independence,” CM Dhami said.
The CM added that this was happening after “extensive consultations with experts, locals and representatives from various communities whose inputs were considered in drafting the law”. “Our goal is to bring uniformity in society and empower women,” he added. Secretary (home) Shailesh Bagauli said, “The govt will issue two notifications: the first for UCC’s implementation and the second for the rules and regulations. This will herald the official launch of the UCC in the state.”
Dhami had said he would implement the UCC if re-elected in the run-up to the state polls in 2022. Soon after he became CM, a five-member committee led by Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai was tasked with drafting the code. Over 2.3 lakh people, accounting for nearly 10% of Uttarakhand’s families, provided feedback, before the committee finalised the draft.
The 740-page draft was presented to the CM on Feb 2, 2024, and approved by the cabinet on Feb 4. It was tabled in the assembly on Feb 6 and passed the next day. The bill was approved by governor Lt Gen Gurmit Singh (retd) on Feb 28, and was subsequently signed by President Droupadi Murmu on March 11.
