The Uttarakhand State Legislative Assembly on Wednesday passed the Uniform Civil Code, Uttarakhand, 2024 Bill. The Bill now awaits Governor Gurmit Singh's assent to become law in Uttarakhand.
Proposed by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, the Uniform Civil Code Bill, which advocates uniform laws governing marriage, divorce, land, property, and inheritance, was presented in the Uttarakhand Assembly on Tuesday.
While tabling the bill in state assembly, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami said, "The Uniform Civil Code will give the right to equality to everyone without any discrimination on matters like marriage, maintenance, inheritance and divorce... The UCC will mainly remove the discrimination against women... The UCC will assist in eradicating the injustice and wrong deeds against women. It is time to stop the atrocities against the 'Matrishakti'... The discrimination against our sisters and daughters has to stop... Half of the population should now get equal rights."
"Unity in diversity is a quality of India. The bill speaks of that unity... Our constitution is secular. The constitution removes the shortcomings of our society and strengthens the social structure... We are going to bring a law that brings everyone above religion, sect, and community and unites everyone," Dhami said during his speech.
The UCC Bill received a warm reception from the treasury benches, echoed by applause and chants of "Jai Sri Ram," "Vande Mataram," and "Bharat Mata Ki Jai."
Key provisions of the UCC include provisions to elevate the minimum marriage age for women to encourage educational pursuits, standardize divorce procedures across religious denominations, and mandate the registration of live-in relationships. Additionally, it aims to establish parity in inheritance rights for women within the state.
The approval of the Bill marks a historic moment for Uttarakhand, making it the inaugural state in post-Independence India to embrace a Uniform Civil Code. It's worth noting that Goa had enacted a UCC during the era of Portuguese governance.