Uttarakhand tables Uniform Civil Code Bill, House adjourned till 2 pm amid din

A draft of the UCC was presented to the Chief Minister by a five-member committee led by retired Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai. The UCC aims to establish a consistent legal framework for marriage, divorce, land, property, and inheritance laws, regardless of religious affiliation. The passage of the UCC Bill fulfills a significant promise made by the BJP during the 2022 Assembly polls.

The Uttarakhand government tabled the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill in the Legislative Assembly on February 6. Passage of the Bill will fulfill a significant promise made by the BJP during the 2022 Assembly polls.

Minutes after the Bill was tabled, the Assembly was suspended till 2 pm amid din by the Opposition. The Bill was tabled in the ongoing four-day special session of the Assembly, which started on February 5.

The UCC aims to establish a consistent legal framework for marriage, divorce, land, property, and inheritance laws, regardless of religious affiliation.

Although the entire report on UCC is yet to be made public, various media reports have come out with a few key pointers that will feature in the legislation on the Uniform Civil Code.

1. Equal property rights after death: Following a person's demise, the Bill grants equal property rights to the spouse and children. Additionally, equal rights extend to the deceased person's parents. This marks a departure from the previous laws, where only the mother had rights to the deceased's property.

2. Equal property rights for sons and daughters: The Uttarakhand Uniform Civil Code Bill ensures equal rights on property for both sons and daughters, regardless of their category.

3. Elimination of distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children: The Bill aims to abolish the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children concerning property rights. All children are recognized as the biological offspring of the couple.

4. Inclusivity of adopted and biologically born children: The Uniform Civil Code Bill treats children adopted, born through surrogacy, or born through assisted reproductive technology on an equal footing with other biological children.

5. Ban on polygamy and child marriage: A complete ban on polygamy and child marriage, a common marriageable age for girls across all faiths, and enforcing similar grounds and procedures for divorce.

A draft UCC Bill was presented to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami by a five-member committee led by retired Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai.