Uttarakhand's Proposed Uniform Civil Code Submitted to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami: A major step towards the implementation of a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in Uttarakhand was taken as the state-appointed panel presented its draft to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami in Dehradun on Friday. Led by retired Supreme Court Judge Ranjana Prakash Desai, the five-member committee handed over the document to the chief minister.

The UCC aims to establish a consistent legal framework governing marriage, divorce, land, property, and inheritance laws for all citizens regardless of their religious affiliations within the state.

Should it be adopted, Uttarakhand would mark the first state in India post-Independence to embrace the UCC, following in the footsteps of Goa where it has been in effect since the Portuguese colonial era.

A special four-day session of the Uttarakhand Assembly is scheduled from February 5-8 to deliberate and potentially pass legislation pertaining to the UCC.

Before being presented as a bill in the assembly, the draft will undergo scrutiny by the state Cabinet.

Established in May 2022, the panel was initially given six months to compile the UCC draft. It received extensions and dedicated efforts over several months, during which it gathered 2.33 lakh written suggestions and conducted 60 meetings, engaging with approximately 60,000 individuals to ensure comprehensive consideration of various perspectives.

The enactment of UCC legislation would fulfill a major electoral pledge by the BJP in the lead-up to the 2022 Assembly elections. The party secured a resounding victory, clinching power for the second consecutive term, a milestone unprecedented in the state's political history since its establishment in 2000.

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