Uttarakhand all set to implement Uniform Civil Code

Uniform Civil Code implementation was part of the BJP's manifesto for the Uttarakhand assembly election

Updated on: Feb 6, 2024, 11:36:32 IST

By HT News Desk

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Uttarakhand on Sunday took one more step towards becoming the first state to implement Uniform Civil Code (UCC) after the state cabinet approved the UCC panel's draft report, with the decision being taken in a meeting chaired by chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.

Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami addresses the handing over of the UCC draft report during a programme organised at Mukhya Sevak Sadan, in Dehradun on Friday (ANI)

Sunday's development came two days after the five-member UCC committee, headed by retired Supreme Court judge Ranjana Desai, submitted its report to the chief minister.

Also Read | Will track Uttarakhand UCC move, see if it can be implemented in Assam: Himanta

The development also comes on the eve of a special two-day assembly session, which the state's BJP government announced on January 26, to discuss the code's implementation. The report will be tabled in the assembly on Tuesday, the second and final day; as the ruling party has 47 seats in the 70-member house, the UCC bill is set for a smooth sailing.

The legislation will then be sent to the Governor, the state's constitutional head. Once approved by the Governor, it will become a law.

UCC implementation was part of the BJP's manifesto for the 2022 Uttarakhand assembly election. The saffron party eventually won a re-election.

Also Read | People gave BJP mandate to implement UCC: Uttarakhand CM Dhami

What is UCC?

Put simply, it is a common set of laws that will supersede customary laws across faiths and tribes, and govern issues such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, and maintenance.

Also Read | Ban polygamy, says Uttarakhand UCC panel

According to the Constitution of India, UCC is a part of the non-justiciable directive principles of state policy.

As per the 2011 national census, the hill province has a 14% (13.9%) Muslim population, with most people from the community living in the Terai region.

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