The Uniform Civil Code bill — which proposes uniform marriage, divorce, land, property and inheritance laws for all citizens irrespective of their religion in Uttarakhand — was tabled in the state assembly on Tuesday. News18 has accessed the details of the UCC draft bill, which runs into 182 pages.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, who presented the bill in the House, entered the assembly with an original copy of the Constitution. The ongoing session of the state assembly was convened especially for the passage of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) bill.
As per the newly prepared UCC draft, a son’s widow can’t be married to her father-in-law, which is a common practice in the minority community and many such cases have emerged in Uttar Pradesh.
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. Several BJP-ruled states in the country, including Gujarat and Assam, have expressed their keenness to follow the Uttarakhand UCC as a model.
Uttarakhand UCC Bill: Key Points To Know
- The UCC bill consists of more than 400 sections.
- The minimum age for marriage is set at 18 years.
- Registration is required for live-in relationships.
- Failure to submit live-in relationship declarations, or providing false information, could land one in jail for three months, a fine of ₹ 25,000, or both.
- Girls have equal inheritance rights on their parents’ property.
- 4% of the tribal population in Uttarakhand is excluded from the law.
- The bill also mandates marriage registration.
- Failure to register may result in a loss of government services.
- The procedure to adopt a child will be made easier under UCC.
- Muslim women will be allowed to adopt a child.
- The practice of Halala and Iddat will be banned under the UCC.
- After the wife’s death, the responsibility of her parents lies with the husband.
- The custody of kids can be transferred to grandparents in case of dispute between husband and wife.
‘Those Opposing It Should…’: Former U’khand CM on UCC Bill
Former Chief Minister of Uttarakhand and veteran BJP leader Tirath Rawat on Tuesday spoke about the Uniform Civil Code, which was tabled in the state assembly today, and said that the draft will be supported by a comfortable majority and soon become law.
Calling it a move in the interest of the nation, Rawat, while speaking to CNN-News18 said that the Muslim bodies opposing the UC are speaking a foreign language and should refuge in those countries only.
“The UCC bill was drafted after taking the concerns and opinions of all communities and sections into consideration. Even Muslim people and bodies were also consulted before drafting the bill, those opposing it now are just driven by politics.”
(with inputs from Payal Mehta from New Delhi)
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