Uttarakhand will show the light to the rest of the country as today it became the first state to implemented Uniform Civil Code (UCC). Thw rules for UCC were framed by a nine-member committee headed by former Chief Secretary of the state, Mr. Shatrughan Singh.
The committee presented its 400-page report to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on October 18, 2024. The report was later abridged to 100-pages with clauses only about only registration of marriage, divorce, inheritance, and live-in being retained.As a result, the revised UCC rules approved by the Uttarakhand government no longer include the proposal for a separate process to handle disputes related to personal laws.
Mr Singh in an exclusive interview to Indian Masterminds today claimed that the UCC will rid the discrimination based on sex, community, caste and will have same laws for everyone especially in matters of marriage, divorce, live in relations property rights, succession.
OFFICERS’ TRAINING UNDERWAY
The state government has completed its preparations to implement the UCC and is already training its officers in the new law, he said. It will be implemented seamlessly, he hoped.
Under the UCC polygamy will be prohibited, and monogamy will be the norm under the landmark legislation.The UCC requires men who have attained the age of 21 and women who are 18 years of age to enter a union through marriage.Though the marriages will be solemnised as per religious customs of the couple, the registration of the marriage will be mandatory, he said.
DISCRIMINATIONS ABROGATED
There will be no distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children now as the law aims to abolish this distinction over property rights. Once the UCC is implemented all children will be recognised as biological offspring.The law will also ensure that children adopted, born through surrogacy, or conceived via assisted reproductive technology will be treated equally to biological children.
Following a person’s death, the law will grant equal property rights to the spouse and children. Additionally, equal rights would be extended to the dead person’s parents, thus ensuring that they are taken care of.
The UCC also includes provisions for creating and cancelling wills under testamentary succession. Marriages performed before March 26, 2010, or outside the state, can be registered if they meet legal requirements. Tribal communities listed under Article 342 of the Constitution have been exempted from the UCC to protect their traditions and cultural heritage.
