New Delhi: The Uniform Civil Code (UCC), Uttarakhand, Bill 2024, which seeks to “govern and regulate the laws related to marriage and divorce, successions, live-in relationships, and matters related thereto” was passed in the Assembly this week following a two-day discussion. The Bill will now be sent to President Droupadi Murmu for her assent after which it will become a law.
Introduced by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami this week, deliberations were held on the UCC Bill before the House approved it by a voice vote. Uttarakhand is now poised to become the first state to get a common law on marriage, divorce, land, property, and inheritance for all citizens, irrespective of their religion. The code, however, will not apply to the Scheduled Tribes.
On the Opposition’s allegation that the Bill is aimed at extracting political mileage before the Lok Sabha polls, he said the BJP had promised to implement the UCC in the run-up to the 2022 elections. “This is the day of fulfilling that promise and should not be seen as anything else… This is not tushtikaran (appeasement) but santushtikaran (satisfaction). This is also the empowerment of women,” he said, emphasizing on the exceptional nature of the UCC, calling it “a dream set to materialize in Uttarakhand and transcend ordinary legislative measures”.
