The Uniform Civil Code (UCC) bill — which proposes uniform marriage, divorce, land, property and inheritance laws for all citizens irrespective of their religion in Uttarakhand — was tabled in the Assembly on February 6.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami presented the Bill in the House. In a symbolic gesture, he entered the Assembly with an original copy of the Constitution.
Treasury benches welcomed the tabling of the Bill with thumping of desks and chants of "Jai Sri Ram" and "Vande Mataram".
The Bill will now be debated in the Assembly before being passed.
Once it becomes an Act, Uttarakhand will become the first State in the country after Independence to adopt the UCC. It has been operational in Goa since the days of Portuguese rule.
Earlier, there were protests inside the House by Opposition members who said they were not given time to study the Bill’s provisions.
"It seems the government wants to pass the Bill without a debate in violation of the legislative traditions," Leader of Opposition Yashpal Arya said.
Slogans were also raised by the Opposition members who were pacified after Speaker Ritu Khanduri assured them that they would get enough time to study the Bill.
The ongoing Assembly session was convened especially for the passage of the UCC Bill.
Passing a legislation on the UCC will fulfil a major promise made by the BJP to the people of the State in the run-up to the 2022 Assembly poll, which saw the saffron party storm to power with a landslide victory for the second consecutive term.
Several BJP-ruled States in the country, including Gujarat and Assam, have expressed their keenness to follow the Uttarakhand UCC as a model.
What is the Uniform Civil Code?
A Uniform Civil Code is conceptualised as a set of laws that govern personal matters, including marriage, divorce, adoption, inheritance, and succession, for all citizens regardless of religion. The UCC aims to replace the existing diverse personal laws that vary based on religious affiliations.
What is the Uniform Civil Code Uttarakhand 2024 Bill?
The Uttarakhand government had formed a panel - led by retired Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai - to prepare a draft for the UCC in 2022. The panel comprising retired justice Pramod Kohli, social activist Manu Gaur, former Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Shatrughan Singh, and Vice Chancellor of Doon University, Surekha Dangwal prepared a draft report of over 740 pages and has four volumes.
To prepare the report, the panel collected lakhs of feedback, written and online, held several public forums and 43 public outreach programs, and engaged with over 60,000 people. According to CM Dhami, the UCC Bill is an outcome of public dialogue, deliberation, and suggestions.
Reportedly, the UCC Uttarakhand 2024 Bill includes recommendations such as a complete ban on polygamy and child marriage. According to a report by India Today, some of the key features of the Bill include - equal property rights for sons and daughters, elimination of the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children, equal property rights after death, and inclusion of adopted and biological children.
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