Uttarakhand passes the Uniform Civil Code Bill,
After Uttarakhand passes the Uniform Civil Code Bill, it will be the first state in the nation to use the Uniform Civil Code.
Dehradun: The historic Uniform Civil Code Bill was unanimously approved by the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, marking a momentous milestone. On the third day of the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly’s extraordinary session, the bill was passed amidst shouts of “Jai Shri Ram.” Several heavyweights of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), including Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, enthusiastically backed the bill.
Uttarakhand is now the first state in the nation to apply the Uniform Civil Code as a result. Governor Gurmit Singh’s approval is now required for the Bill to become Uttarakhand law.
In keeping with a pledge made prior to the 2022 assembly elections, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami tabled the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill in the Uttarakhand Assembly on Tuesday. The bill proposes uniform legislation for marriage, divorce, land, property, and inheritance in Uttarakhand.
CM Dhami acknowledged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had given him direction and motivation. “With the guidance and inspiration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, today, we are going to fulfil a promise that we made to the people of the state before the 2022 assembly elections to bring a Uniform Civil Code in the state,” the chief minister added.
Our government introduced the Uniform Civil Code Bill to the Assembly today, taking full responsibility for all segments of society. The historic moment for Devbhoomi is almost here, he continued, when Uttarakhand will solidify as a cornerstone of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat” agenda.
Minister for Uttarakhand Prem Chand Aggarwal stated that the UCC Committee carried out a thorough procedure, including 72 meetings and getting recommendations from more than 2,72,000 people via emails and WhatsApp. Several members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) expressed support for the UCC Bill.
Learn More About the Uniform Civil Code
The laws pertaining to succession, marriage, divorce, cohabitation, and other related topics are contained in the bill. The Uniform Civil Code Bill is one of the several proposals that requires live-in relationships to be registered with the government. “Live-in relationships” will need to register with the law within a month of the “date of entering into the relationship” if the proposed UCC Bill is implemented.
Adults must need parental approval before entering into a live-in relationship. The bill also establishes a consistent divorce procedure and outright prohibits child marriage. Women of all religions are granted equal rights in their ancestral property under the Code.
The UCC Bill states that in every community, a person must be 21 years old for men and 18 for women to be married. All religions require marriage registration; marriages that are not registered will be void. After a year of marriage, no divorce petition may be submitted.
The proposed UCC Bill highlighted the marriage ceremonies, pointing out that under the Anand Marriage Act of 1909, as well as under the Special Marriage Act of 1954 and the Arya Marriage Validation Act of 1937, marriage may be solemnized or contracted between a man and a woman in accordance with religious beliefs, practices, customary rites and ceremonies, including but not limited to “Saptapadt”, “Ashirvad”, “Nikah”, “Holy Union,” and “Anand Karaj.”
However, nothing in the proposed UCC Bill will apply to individuals or groups whose customary rights are safeguarded by Part XXI of the Indian Constitution, or to members of any Scheduled Tribes as defined by clause (25) of Article 366 read with Article 342 of the Indian Constitution.
by,HHM