Dehradun: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said on Monday that the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Committee’s report will be delivered to the state government on February 2. The statement came after a Uttarakhand minister suggested that there could be a debate on the draft of the UCC during the state assembly session — set to be held from February 5 to February 8.
In his latest statement on Monday, Dhami told ANI, “While making a promise to the people of the state in the 2022 assembly elections, we constituted the UCC Committee, taking a pledge to implement the Uniform Civil Code in the state. The committee has completed its work and on February 2, it will submit its report to us.”
What will happen next?
The Uttarakhand Chief Minister further said that after receiving the report on February 2, it will be brought to the Uttarakhand Cabinet. After that, action will be taken in the state assembly to enact the Uniform Civil Code Act.
What is expected from the UCC Act?
The Uniform Civil Code (UCC) proposes a common set of laws dealing with a range a issues, including marriage, inheritance, adoption and gender equality for every citizen in India. Article 44 of the Constitution of India says that the state shall endeavour to secure a UCC throughout the territory of India.
On the same lines, Uttarakhand’s UCC Act may include:
1. Provisions that treat men and women equally in issues relating to inheritance.
2. The UCC may reject the practices of polygamy, iddat, and halal.
3. The minimum age for marriage for both men and women may remain the same as it was previously (18 years for women and 21 years for men), the Indian Express reported.
However, media reported last year that the age limit of girls for marriage might be increased in the UCC structure. It added that Graduation is likely to be made mandatory before marriage so that the age limit will be increased automatically – from 18 years to 21 years.
4. Marriage registration might be made necessary. People might not avail the benefit of government schemes without registration of marriage.
5. The UCC may also regulate live-in relationships and require a mandatory declaration to start and terminate live-in relationships. The provisions might also include that parents must be informed for the live-in relationship.
6. Provisions might be included to provide both husband and wife equal grounds for divorce. The basis of divorce will be applied to both the husband and wife, not one party will have an upper hand, News 18 had reported.
7. The guardianship process might become easier if the child is an orphan
8. The number of children to a couple can be fixed. Everyone might be granted the right to adopt – irrespective of religion, gender etc
What PM Modi says on UCC
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the country cannot run on two laws and that the Uniform Civil Code was in keeping with the founding principles and ideals of the Constitution.
“Today, people are being instigated in the name of the UCC. How can the country run on two (laws)? The Constitution also talks of equal rights…Supreme Court has also asked to implement the UCC. These (opposition) people are playing vote bank politics,” PM Modi was quoted by ANI as saying.
What critics say about UCC
Congress leader Harish Rawat had said, “If different states have different UCCs, the very purpose of having a common law for all sections of society across the country will be defeated.”
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