Uttarakhand to Release Research Report on UCC Today, Law Likely To Be Implemented by October

The research report on the Uniform Civil Code in Uttarakhand will be released on Friday. The state government is all set to implement the law by October.

This research report was the basis of the uniform civil code (UCC) in Uttarakhand, which was passed in February. It will be uploaded on the state government’s official website to raise awareness about the law and why it was passed before implementation.

A press conference to this effect will be held at 12.30 pm, where the research report will be released. According to a report published by Times of India, a committee headed by former chief secretary Shatrughan Singh has completed its work of forming the rules on procedures and other matters related to the implementation of the UCC.

Earlier in February, a five-member committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai submitted an 800-page final draft report to chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. The UCC in Uttarakhand exempts tribal communities from its purview, includes special rules for live-in couples, and bans polygamy under Muslim personal law.

Here are some highlights:

• Marriage Age: Age of women for marriage to be increased to 21 years from 18 years.
• Marriage Registration: The UCC will make the registration of marriages mandatory.
• Live-in Couples: It will be mandatory for live-in couples to inform their parents.
• Halala and Iddat: The UCC mentions the discontinuation of the practice of halala and iddat – terms commonly used while settling marriage disputes among Muslims.
• Polygamy: The UCC bans the practice of polygamy under Muslim personal law.
• Divorce Rights: The draft gives equal grounds and rights to both man and woman, irrespective of the faith, to seek divorce.
• Population Control: The UCC in Uttarakhand has reportedly recommended putting a cap on the number of children.

The expert committee, appointed by Dhami in 2022, held extensive discussions and took suggestions from different communities, classes, stakeholders and political parties to prepare the UCC draft. It is believed that the Uttarakhand code could become a template for other BJP-ruled states. Article 44 of the Constitution provides that “the state shall endeavour to secure for the citizens a uniform civil code throughout the territory of India”.

The UCC is a common code of personal laws for people of all religions. It proposes to formulate and implement personal laws of citizens, which apply to all regardless of religion, sex, gender and sexual orientation. At present, personal laws of various communities are governed by religious scriptures.