The committee framing rules for Uttarakhand’s Uniform Civil Code (UCC) is ensuring the protection of data provided by live-in couples while proposing mandatory parental notification for those aged between 18 and 21 years. This announcement was made by Shatrughna Singh, chairman of the rules-making and implementation committee, during a press conference in Dehradun.
In February this year, the Uttarakhand Assembly passed the UCC, mandating the registration of live-in relationships and marriages. The comprehensive report by an expert committee, headed by Justice (retd) Ranjana Prakash Desai, was uploaded on www.ucc.uk.gov.in on Friday. The five-member panel, formed on May 27, 2022, received suggestions from 2.33 lakh people through 43 public dialogue programs and various mediums. The report was submitted on February 2 this year but was not made public earlier due to the model code of conduct being in force.
Singh emphasized that the panel is committed to ensuring there is no breach of privacy for data provided during the registration of marriages and live-in relationships. However, the panel is debating the provision of informing parents about live-in couples aged between 18 and 21 years. Singh stated that while data of couples above 21 years will be fully protected, for those aged 18 to 21, parental notification is seen as a precautionary measure for the couple’s safety.
The UCC, passed on February 7 and assented by President Droupadi Murmu on March 11, 2024, makes Uttarakhand the first state in India post-Independence to adopt such a law. It governs laws relating to marriage, divorce, succession, live-in relationships, inheritance, and maintenance for all citizens irrespective of religion, gender, caste, or sex, excluding Scheduled Tribes. The Act bans polygamy and ‘halala’ among certain Muslim sections while allowing marriage ceremonies through community-specific rituals like saptapadi, nikah, and anand karaj.
During the drafting committee’s public consultations, 8-10% of respondents suggested including population control in the UCC. However, the committee did not incorporate it as it fell outside their remit. Singh confirmed there were no constitutional barriers to states bringing in the UCC and that the UCC did not infringe on any group’s religious freedoms.
The rules-making and implementation committee’s work is in an advanced stage, with the coding of rules nearing completion. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has indicated that the UCC would be implemented by October this year. The entire implementation system is being computerized, allowing people to register marriages and live-in relationships online.
Singh highlighted that prominent figures like Bhimrao Ambedkar, Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, and Minoo Masani supported a UCC. He also referenced historical precedents such as Napoleon Bonaparte’s introduction of a uniform civil code in France in 1804 and Türkiye’s 1926 law advocating gender equality and banning polygamy, despite its predominantly Muslim population.
