What are Uniform Civil Code rules that Uttarakhand government has approved

The landmark legislation will be rolled out at around 12:30 pm today on Jan 27, making it the first State to implement UCC. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami will also unveil UCC portal

New Delhi: The Uniform Civil Code (UCC) comes into effect today, January 27 in Uttarakhand, making it the first State in independent India to implement such a law.

The rules will also apply to the people of Uttarakhand living outside it.

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The landmark legislation will be rolled out at around 12:30 pm. State Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami will also unveil the UCC portal, just ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the State on Monday, January 27.

The law’s implementation was a major commitment of the BJP in the run-up to the 2022 Assembly polls which saw the party storm to power for a second consecutive term, something never done by any other party in the State since its creation in 2000.

The rules proposed by the Shatrughan Singh Committee for the UCC initially presented to the Chief Minister on October 18, 2024, were subject to some revisions.

• The rules
  The extensive 400-page document has been condensed to under 100 pages, with only provisions concerning registration of marriage, divorce, inheritance, and live-in being retained, sources said.
• The revised UCC rules no longer include the proposal for a separate process to handle disputes related to personal laws.
• It ensures equal rights in property for both sons and daughters.
• Polygamy will be prohibited, and monogamy will be the norm under the landmark legislation.
• The UCC requires men who have attained the age of 21 and women who are 18 years of age to enter a union through marriage.
• Though the marriages will be solemnised as per religious customs of the couple, the registration of the marriage will be mandatory.
• There will be no distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children now as the law aims to abolish this distinction over property rights.
  Once the UCC is implemented, all children will be recognised as biological offspring.
• The law will also ensure that children adopted, born through surrogacy, or conceived via assisted reproductive technology will be treated equally to biological children.
• Following a person’s death, the law will grant equal property rights to the spouse and children.
  Additionally, equal rights would be extended to the dead person’s parents, thus ensuring that they are taken care of.