Story by Raksha Bhattacharjee
Uttarakhand became the first state in India to adopt the Uniform Civil Code (UCC). Pushkar Singh Dhami, the chief minister of Uttarakhand, declared the official adoption of UCC and the inauguration of the UCC webpage.
“The Uniform Civil Code is a constitutional measure to end discrimination,” Dhami remarked during the UCC inauguration. By doing this, an effort has been made to grant all citizens equal rights. Its execution will guarantee women’s empowerment in the real sense. He added that no one is subjected to discrimination by the UCC because of their gender, caste, or religion. Emphasizing this, Dhami continued, “I would like to clarify again that the Uniform Civil Code is not against any religion or sect, there is no question of targeting anyone.”
The Uniform Civil Code (UCC): What is it?
The Uttarakhand government aims to provide a uniform set of laws and legal protections for all of its residents, irrespective of gender or religion, by enacting the Uniform Civil Code (UCC). Therefore, standardizing rules pertaining to marriage, divorce, cohabitation, property rights, adoption, and other topics is the goal of the UCC. Dhami stated during the UCC launch that “evils like Halala, polygamy, child marriage, triple talaq, etc. Can be completely stopped through this.”
Scheduled Tribes, however, will not be covered by the UCC. At today’s UCC launch, Dhami stated, “In order to protect those tribes and their rights, we have kept our scheduled tribes mentioned under Article 342 of the Constitution out of this code.”
UCC marriage laws
The Uttarakhand government has raised the legal marriage age for men and women to 21 and 18, respectively, in accordance with the UCC. By doing this, it seeks to guarantee that individuals finish their schooling prior to getting married. People are required by the UCC to register their marriage.
The UCC also forbids customs like child marriage and polygamy. Additionally, it establishes a standard divorce law that forbids iddat, nikah halala, and triple talaq. This will guarantee equality for all people, irrespective of their community, gender, or religion. The inheritance right is likewise covered by the UCC.
Additionally, it acknowledges children born to cohabitating couples as “legitimate children of the couple,” granting them equal inheritance rights. Additionally, the UCC promotes gender equality by referring to both sons and daughters as “children” and ignoring gender disparities in inheritance law.
UCC for those who live- in relationships
UCC for cohabitating individuals According to the legislation, couples who are 21 years of age or older must register their live-in partnerships. Under-21-year-old couples living together will require parental approval in order to register.
All individuals who are “residents of Uttarakhand… (including those who are) in a live-in relationship outside the state” are covered by the UCC for live-couples. Those who give false information or neglect to disclose or register their live-in relationship risk a three-month jail sentence, a fine of INR 25,000, or both. A fine of INR 10,000, a jail sentence of up to three months, or both could result from even a one-month delay in registering live-in partnerships.
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