Uttarakhand has emerged as a trailblazer for other Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled states as the Uniform Civil Code Bill is passed. The passing of UCC is being hailed as a big win for the party which has repeatedly emphasised it as a cornerstone of its electoral pledges. Echoing this development, Rajasthan has expressed its intent to present a UCC bill in the upcoming assembly session.
The state’s diverse population will now be governed by a common set of laws in matters of marriage, divorce, inheritance and adoption, irrespective of whichever section of society they belong to.
The Uniform Civil Code, hailed as a saviour for women's rights by the BJP, has, in the past, faced criticism from the opposition for purportedly targeting one community. Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Dhami, however, dismissed these claims, asserting that the bill aims to ensure “the right to equality to everyone without any discrimination” on civil matters.
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The bill bans people from having more than one spouse, makes it necessary to register marriages, treats all children the same regardless of how they were born or adopted, and gives both men and women the same rights to inherit property.
The Bill retains the exception from the Hindu Marriage Act for married couples who fall within the “degrees of prohibited relationships”.
Live-in relationships have also found a mention in the Uniform Civil Code. A live-in relationship would only be considered lawful if registered. Failing to do so would amount to three to six months of jail time.
While all sections of society will have to abide by the same set of rules, the Adivasi community has been exempted.
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In Outlook's 'Uniform Civil Code' issue from June last year, reporters looked at Adivasi women’s urgent need for a written code ensuring their right over not just their ancestral property but also over property owned by their in-laws.
Under the Adivasi customary laws women do not have ancestral property rights and have long been fighting for them.
The idea of a Uniform Civil Code gave them hope and was gaining traction within the women of the scheduled tribes. However, the indigenous people have been left out of the UCC.
