The State Government of Uttarakhand has published the expert committee’s report on the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), marking a significant move toward uniform laws for marriage, divorce, inheritance, and adoption. Chairman Shatrugan Singh unveiled the report in Dehradun. The UCC will apply to all reside
The State Government of Uttarakhand has made public the expert committee’s report on the Uniform Civil Code (UCC). This report marks a significant step towards potentially implementing a common set of laws governing personal matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, and adoption for all citizens, irrespective of religion.
Shatrugan Singh, Chairman of the Rules and Implementation Committee, unveiled the report from the Expert Committee on the Uniform Civil Code of Uttarakhand on Friday. The release took place at the Circuit House Annexe in Dehradun.
This is India’s first Uniform Civil Code (UCC), of which details have been provided on the website http://ucc.uk.gov.in, where the whole report can be read.
The scope of the Uttarakhand UCC extends to the entire state, applying to all residents within Uttarakhand as well as those living outside its boundaries. However, only bona fide residents of the state will be brought under the law’s jurisdiction.
Part one of the UCC 2024 addresses marriage and divorce, granting women of all religions and faiths equal rights to separation from conjugal alliances.
Part two covers succession rights and the distribution of properties and other endowments, ensuring complete parity of succession rights for both male and female heirs within a family.
Part three focuses on live-in relationships, mandating their registration in Uttarakhand and allowing either partner to access the other’s past information from enforcement agencies.
Part four addresses miscellaneous provisions related to the implementation of the law, granting the state government the authority to establish rules to carry out the purposes of the UCC.
However, the UCC 2024 excludes the tribal population of the state from its jurisdiction. The code states, “Nothing contained in the code shall apply to the members of any Scheduled Tribes within the meaning of clause 25 of the 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”
The Uttrakhand government formed an expert panel to draft the UCC in 2022 following the state assembly elections. The panel, headed by retired Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, submitted its report in late 2023. The UCC was subsequently passed by the state assembly on March 11, 2024, and the Uttarakhand Governor issued its gazette notification on March 12, 2024.
