04/02/2024
Will Uttarakhand be the first state to roll out UCC?
The five-member panel constituted for drafting the uniform civil code (UCC) in Uttarakhand submitted its final draft report to CM Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday.
Dhami said a “long-awaited moment has arrived” in the state as the government gears up to table the draft in the Uttarakhand Assembly next week.
A special four-day assembly session has already been convened from February 5-8 to pass a legislation on the UCC.
If implemented, Uttarakhand will become the first state in the country after Independence to adopt the UCC.
It has been operational in Goa since the days of Portuguese rule.
While the UCC report has not yet been made public, media reports suggest that the draft has recommended making halala, iddat, and triple talaq —practices governing marriage and divorce as per Muslim personal law — punishable offences.
The report has also apparently recommended a common marriageable age for girls and common grounds and procedures for divorce across all religions.
The tribal population will be exempted from the purview of the UCC Bill because of the special status granted to them, reports say.
Tribals — about 3% of Uttarakhand’s population — have been voicing their dissent against the UCC. Notable groups include the Jaunsari, Bhotiyas, Tharus, Rajis, and Buksas.
The panel held 43 public interactions and took suggestions from 2.3 lakh people – equivalent to 10% families of in the state.
The UCC will provide a legal framework for uniform marriage, divorce, land, property and inheritance laws for all citizens irrespective of their religion in the state.
Interestingly, in the interim budget presented on Thursday, the Centre announced plans to form a high-powered committee to deal with challenges arising from fast population growth and demographic changes.