Union Minister for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal said on Monday that the Uniform Civil Code is in the consultation process and being reviewed by the Law Commission of India.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami tabled the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) 2024 Bill in the State Assembly, in Dehradun on Tuesday. The ongoing special four-day session of the assembly began on Monday.
"Vande Mataram and Jai Shri Ram" slogans were raised by MLAs inside the State Assembly after Dhami tabled the bill.
The House was then adjourned till 2 pm. Earlier, Chief Minister Dhami said that it was a moment of pride that Uttarakhand will be the first to move towards implementing the UCC.
CM Dhami posted on X, "With the aim of giving equal rights to the citizens of Devbhoomi Uttarakhand, a Uniform Civil Code bill will be introduced in the Assembly today. It is a moment of pride for all the people of the state that we will be known as the first state in the country to move towards implementing UCC".
On Sunday, the Uttarakhand Cabinet approved the final draft of the UCC, which proposes uniform civil laws for all communities in the state, irrespective of caste and religion. Earlier, the draft of the UCC was handed over to the Chief Minister by the five-member committee headed by retired Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai.
The UCC will provide a legal framework for uniform marriage, divorce, land, property, and inheritance laws for all citizens, irrespective of their religion.
The passage of the UCC Bill will mark the fulfilment of a major promise made by the BJP to the people of the state in the run-up to the 2022 Assembly polls. In March 2022, the Dhami government decided to constitute a committee to prepare a draft for the UCC.
Uniform Civil Code bill: Key features
- Union Minister of Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal said that the Uniform Civil Code is in the consultation process and being reviewed by the Law Commission of India.
- “This is not just the issue of the Centre; the makers of the Constitution had discussed this even when the Constitution was being made...Right now, this matter is under consideration with the Law Commission of India and is in the consultation process," said Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal.
- The Uniform Civil Code proposes to provide equal rights in property for both sons and daughters. If the girl marries in any other religion. To have an equal share as a son in their father's property, the 2005 amendment in the Hindu Succession Act 1956 already provides for married daughters.
- Uttarakhand UCC also focuses on abolishing the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children concerning property rights. the bill also aims that children would be recognised as the biological offspring of the parents and would have equal rights. UCC also gives rights to children who are adopted, born through surrogacy, or born through assisted reproductive technology.
- The legislation gives equitable property rights for both the spouse and children after the passing of an individual. This represents a significant departure from prior legal frameworks, where exclusive property rights were granted solely to the mother in the event of the individual's demise.
- Under Uttarakhand UCC, marriage registration is mandatory for all religions. The bill also bans polygamy and child marriage and makes it mandatory to declare live-in relationships.
- The UCC bill seeks to ban Islamic practices such as halala and iddat which are considered unfair for women. Halala and iddat are Islamic practices a woman must go through after a divorce or the death of her husband.
(with inputs from ANI)
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