Uttarakhand UCC Bill Live Updates: The chief minister of Uttarakhand State Pushkar Singh Dhami presented the Uniform Civil Code and Bill in the Assembly on Tuesday 6 February 2024. The UCC Bill proposal has different provisions for information on different laws including marriage, divorce, succession, live-in relationships, etc. After the implementation of the UCC Bill in Uttarakhand State, The UCC Bill aims to establish a uniform set of personal laws for all citizens of the state, irrespective of their religion, caste, or creed.
The UCC Bill has been met with mixed reactions. Some have welcomed it as a step towards gender equality and social justice, while others have criticized it as an infringement on religious freedom. However, a special committee has prepared the draft of the UCC Bill for Uttarakhand State which has submitted their report to the state on 2 February 2024. You can check the big updates under the UCC Bill Act in Uttarakhand State in this article.
Uttarakhand UCC Bill Live Updates
Relaxation for the tribal community
The Uniform Civil Code is advocating two established a uniform law Act for all the citizens in the state but it will give relaxation to the tribal community in the state. The Indian Constitution has provided support to the scheduled tribes in India to preserve their culture. According to Article 142 of the Indian Constitution and Clause 25 of Article 366 of the Indian Constitution, The customary rights of Scheduled Tribes are Protected under Part 21 of the Indian Constitution. So provisions in the Uniform Civil Code bill in Uttarakhand State will not be applicable for scheduled tribes in the state.
Provisions for a live-in relationship
UCC bill will regulate the live-in relationship in the state for a couple who is a permanent resident of Uttarakhand or any other state in India. So a couple is living in in relationship for at least one month then they have to register their details with the Registrar of the State. It will include information about the partner and verify multiple details that are mentioned in Act 380 including whether anyone’s partner is a minor or adult, whether the partner is already a married person or not or already engaged with any other live-in relationship or not etc.
So you have to fill out the registrar form under Act 381 in the Uttarakhand State if you are in a relationship. However, if you do not submit your details then it will be a punishable offense and the court can charge up to 10000 rupees and additional Imprisonment also.
More than one marriage is illegal
According to the provisions of the Uniform Civil Code bill in Uttarakhand State, it is prohibited for citizens in the state to maintain more than two marriages at the same time. It means if a male or female is already tied up in marriage they can not be engaged in any other marriage or other type of live-in relationship with any other person. If any spouse is engaged in Bigamy or Marriages with more than one person then they will be punished by the state. The conditions related to the Marriage Act in the Uniform Civil Code bill in Uttarakhand are listed under Section 4 of the bill.
Conditions of marriage in UCC
Uttarakhand state has mentioned in the UCC the minimum age of marriage for a male and a female where the age will remain the same as 21 for boys and a minimum of 18 years is decided for girls. Also, there’s a rule about not marrying someone if you’re too closely related to them. This rule is based on shared ancestors. However, there’s an exception for communities that have their traditions allowing such marriages. In essence, the UCC Bill aims to streamline personal laws across different communities in Uttarakhand, but it respects the unique customs of tribal communities and allows certain exceptions based on established traditions.