Uttarakhand becomes first Indian state to implement UCC

The Uniform Civil Code will be implemented in Uttarakhand on Monday, making it the first state in India to do so. Officials from the government stated that the UCC will be applied to all of Uttarakhand and to those residents who live outside the state. Nearly a year after the Bill was approved by the Uttarakhand parliament, the Code goes into effect. This was one of the BJP’s main election promises in the 2022 state elections.

Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Dhami’s stance

According to a media report, CM Pushkar Dhami said, “UCC is just an offering made by our state in the great ‘yagya’ being performed by the Prime Minister to make the country a developed, organised, harmonious and self-reliant nation”.

What is UCC?

Uttarakhand’s Uniform Civil Code Act would control and govern the rules regarding succession, marriage and divorce, live-in relationships, and other associated topics. Polygamy and ‘halala’ are banned and it sets marriages will need to be registered and the minimum age of marriage across religions will be 21 years for men and 18 years for women. Marriage, adoption, succession, and divorce are among the standard laws that apply to all citizens, regardless of their caste, sex, religion, or community.