Uttarakhand Assembly Introduced UCC Bill: Register Live-In Relationships Or Face Fine And Jail

The Uniform Civil Code (UCC) bill was tabled in the Uttarakhand assembly on Tuesday morning by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, following which the House was adjourned till 2 pm to allow members to study the bill's provisions.

The 192-page bill is divided into four parts - marriage & divorce, succession, live-in relationships, and miscellaneous, with stringent provisions for failure to register live-in relationships being among its highlights.

What UCC brings for Live-In Relatioships?

Among the many proposals, the Uniform Civil Code Bill mandates the registration of live-in relationships under the law. Once the proposed UCC Bill is enacted, "live-in relationships" will be required to be registered under the law within 1 month from the "date of entering into the relationship".

Consent from parents will have to be obtained by adults to live in a live-in relationship. A complete ban on child marriage is also imposed by the Bill, which introduces a uniform process for divorce. Equal rights in ancestral property are provided to women of all religions by the Code.

According to the UCC Bill, the age for marriage will be 18 for women and 21 for men in all communities. Mandatory marriage registration is also stipulated in all religions, and marriages without registration will be deemed invalid. No divorce petition will be permitted to be filed within one year of marriage.

Ceremonies for marriage, as highlighted by the proposed UCC Bill, may be solemnized or contracted between a man and a woman in accordance with religious beliefs, practices, customary rites, and ceremonies including, but not limited to, "Saptapadt", "Ashirvad", "Nikah", "Holy Union", "Anand Karaj" under the Anand Marriage Act 1909 as well as under, but not limited to, The Special Marriage Act, 1954, and Arya Marriage Validation Act, 1937.

However, nothing contained in the proposed UCC Bill will be applied to the members of any Scheduled Tribes within the meaning of clause (25) of Article 366 read with Article 342 of the Constitution of India and the persons and group of persons whose customary rights are protected under Part XXI of the Constitution of India. Meanwhile, it was stated by CM Dhami that after the UCC Bill is passed, Uttarakhand will become a strong pillar of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of "One India, Best India".

"With full responsibility, the Uniform Civil Code Bill has been presented in the Assembly by our government, taking all sections of the society along. That historic moment is nearing for Devbhoomi when Uttarakhand will become a strong pillar of PM Modi ji's vision of One India, Best India," Dhami posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The fulfilment of a major promise made by the BJP to the people of the state in the run-up to the 2022 Assembly polls will be marked by the passage of the UCC Bill. In March 2022, a committee was decided to be constituted by the Dhami government to prepare a draft for the UCC.

(With PTI Inputs)