Pushkar Singh Dhami, Chief Minister of the BJP-led Uttarakhand state government announced the implementation of the Universal Civil Code (UCC) in the Uttarakhand state from Monday, 27th January 2025 in his press conference on the day before the celebration of 76 Republic Day of India. Now Uttarakhand is going to become the first state of Independent India where all the religions will be trailed under the Universal Civil Code from Today, January 27th, 2025.
The Implementation of the Universal Civil Code in Uttarakhand state was one of the main promises of the BJP in the state assembly elections in 2022. After winning the state assembly polls with the majority and becoming the first state government to lead the state in a second consecutive term after the creation of the separate state in 2000, Pushkar Singh Dhami-led BJP government appointed retired supreme court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai to prepare a draft of state UCC in the first cabinet meeting in march 2022.
Uttarakhand UCC Implementation Date
The committee including Shatrughan Singh, former chief secretary, Social Activist Manu Gaur, Justice Pramod Kohli, Surekha Dangwal, and Vice Chancellor of Doon University submitted the final draft of the Uttarakhand state Universal Civil Code in Feb 2024. Pushkar Singh Dhami Led the BJP government have passing the UCC Bill which was submitted to the President of India Droupadi Murmu in March 2024.
The final drafting of the Uttarakhand Civil Code was finished just two years after the founding of the Committee under former Judge of the Supreme Court of India, Ranjana Prakash Desai. The comprehensive draft of the UCC was submitted in four volumes to the government of Uttarakhand. Which was prepared by the almost two years of dialogues with various societies and peoples of the state.
Provisions of Uttarakhand Universal Civil Code
The final draft sent to the President of India by the government of the state has specified the provisions of the UCC. government has changed the civil provision for cases of Inheritance and Succession, Marriage and Divorce, Live-in Relationships, and other additional provisions with Exemptions in Civil laws under the bill. The bill was passed by the state assembly with the majority and President Droupadi Murmu accepted the bill in March 2024.
So the state cabinet committee appointed Pushkar Singh Dhami to announce the date of the Implementation of the Universal Civil Code in the state. The UCC committee also stayed in touch with the state tribal communities and the tradition and introduced the exemption of some provisions of the UCC to keep the tradition of Tribal society intact under the Universal Civil Code.
Rules for Uttarakhand Universal Civil Code
Bharatiya Janta Party-led government of the state was intended to implement the Universal Civil Code by stating that, Uttarakhand state is culturally vibrant with a strong heritage of core Indian Civilization for centuries. The heritage of the Vedas, Yoga, Sage, and Spirituality, must be intact and UCC will help keep the versatility of the state heritage and culture.
Now after 27 January 2025, all the cases related to Marriage and Divorce, Succession and Inheritance, home relationship, Polygamy, Child Marriage, and court Jurisdiction of the cases with some exemption of the Scheduled Tribe communities of the State to keep the tradition of the Tribal communities safe in the state.
Key Highlights of UCC Implementation in Uttarakhand:
- Effective Today => The Uniform Civil Code is officially implemented in Uttarakhand from January 27, 2025.
- Uniform Personal Laws => Replaces diverse religious laws with a single code for marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption, and maintenance.
- Constitutional Directive => Fulfills Article 44’s goal of promoting uniformity in civil laws.
- State Initiative => Uttarakhand becomes one of the first states to take concrete steps toward UCC enforcement.
- Public Debate => Sparked mixed reactions, with support for equality and concerns about cultural implications.
- Legal Equality => Aims to ensure uniform rights and obligations for all citizens, irrespective of religion or community.