President Droupadi Murmu gives assent to Gujarat’s Uniform Civil Code Bill, 2026.
The law awaits notification of rules; Scheduled Tribes remain outside its scope.
Marriage and live-in registration become compulsory, while polygamy and bigamy are prohibited.
President Droupadi Murmu has given her assent to the Gujarat Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill, 2026, which establishes common laws governing marriage, divorce and inheritance. The legislation will come into force after the state government notifies the rules.
Gujarat becomes the second state in independent India after Uttarakhand to enact a comprehensive UCC. Members of Scheduled Tribes are exempt from its provisions.
The Gujarat Assembly passed the Bill on March 24 after an eight-hour debate. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel introduced it a week after a committee chaired by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai submitted its report. Desai had also headed the committee responsible for drafting Uttarakhand’s code.
Presenting the legislation, Patel said it sought to protect women’s rights without discriminating against any community.
“This Bill has been introduced for the sisters and daughters of Gujarat. The state has taken a step towards accelerating the pace of a developed India by 2047 through the UCC. This Bill ensures that no community is discriminated against. It does not take away anyone’s rights or restrict anyone’s freedom,” he said.
Patel said the government’s objective was social harmony and national unity, adding that the Supreme Court had suggested a uniform code to secure women’s rights.
“It is our responsibility to safeguard the rights and dignity of daughters. In this Bill, respect for women is there. It is a matter of women’s empowerment,” he told the Assembly.
Congress members walked out during the proceedings. Both Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party sought scrutiny by a select committee. Opposition members described the legislation as anti-Muslim and alleged that it was being pursued for political gain. The government rejected those allegations.
The code makes marriage registration compulsory, generally within 60 days, with non-compliance attracting a fine of up to ₹10,000. It prohibits polygamy and bigamy and provides for imprisonment of up to seven years for marriages solemnised through force, coercion or fraud.
Divorce must be obtained through a court decree and registered. An out-of-court or customary divorce is invalid under the legislation and may attract imprisonment of up to three years. The code also prohibits triple talaq and nikah halala and permits remarriage without additional conditions.
Sons and daughters are granted equal property rights. Registration is also mandatory for live-in relationships, and couples must inform the authorities when their partnership ends.
Children born from live-in relationships will be recognised as legitimate and have a legal claim on their father’s property. Women deserted by their live-in partners can approach the court for maintenance.
A UCC has long been among the BJP’s core political commitments, alongside the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya and the removal of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under Article 370.
Goa, meanwhile, is governed by the Portuguese Civil Code of 1867, which predates Independence and was not enacted through a modern legislative UCC framework.
