Uttarakhand To Become First Indian State To Implement Uniform Civil Code Today

Dehradun: A landmark legislation will be rolled out in Uttarakhand today (Monday) with the state set to become the first state in the country to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC). The landmark legislation will be implemented around 12:30 pm, ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the state.

It will be implemented throughout Uttarakhand. It will also be applicable to the Uttarakhand residents living outside the state.

The UCC portal will be unveiled at an event that will be lead by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami at the state secretariat. Dhami stated that the UCC would establish the foundations of a harmonious society, free from discrimination based on religion, gender, caste, or community, reports stated.

“We are fulfilling our commitments. The abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir was an instance of it. The Indian republic stands firmly today under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he said, as quoted by PTI.

What is the UCC?

The UCC refers to one law that would be applicable to all religious communities in matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption, maintenance etc. India has a uniform or one set of ‘criminal code’ for all its citizens. But it doesn’t have a uniform civil law.

After much debate, tribals have been kept out of the UCC ambit. The UCC has a complete ban on practices like halala, iddat, and talaq (customs related to marriage and divorce in Muslim Personal Law).

The UCC has 392 sections under seven schedules. It is based on a 750-page draft, spread over four volumes, prepared by an expert committee formed by the government in June 2022.