UTTARAKHAND: The State Uttarakhand has officially become the prime state in India to implement the UCC - Uniform Civil Code - starting today, January 27, 2025.

The State Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami announced that the Uniform Civil Code will bring consistency to personal civil laws, eliminating discrimination based on caste, religion, or gender. He confirmed that all preparations, including rule approvals and official training, have been completed.

Sharing updates on social media, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami wrote, - The Uniform Civil Code is being implemented in Uttarakhand starting from today January 27. This makes Uttarakhand the first in independent India to bring this legislation into effect. The Uniform Civil Code will promote equality in society and ensure equal rights for all citizens. It is our contribution to the larger mission led by the Prime Minister to build a developed, organized, and self-reliant nation."

He emphasized that the UCC aims to create uniformity in personal laws covering areas such as marriage, divorce, and inheritance, which often have disparities based on religion, caste, or gender.
The Uttarakhand Uniform Civil Code Act, 2024, was enacted to streamline processes like making and canceling wills, succession matters, and marriage registration. The law applies to all residents of Uttarakhand, including those living outside the state, but excludes Scheduled Tribes and certain protected groups.

Under the UCC, marriage rules require that neither party should have a living spouse, both must be mentally capable of giving legal consent, the woman must be at least 18 years age, and the man must be at least 21 years old. Marriages can be solemnized under religious or legal customs, but registration within 60 days is mandatory after the law's implementation.

Marriages conducted before March 26, 2010, or outside Uttarakhand, where the couple has been living together and meets the legal criteria, can voluntarily register within six months of the Act's enforcement. The government has also instructed sub-registrars to decide on marriage registration applications within 15 days.

It was in  March 2022  that the Uttarakhand cabinet decided to set up a committee for the Uniform Civil Code (UCC). Retired Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai led this committee, which was formed on May 27, 2022.

The committee worked tirelessly, and by February 2024, the state assembly passed the draft proposal. Just a month later, President Droupadi Murmu gave her seal of approval, paving the way for Uttarakhand to become the first Indian state to implement the UCC, starting January 2025.

This landmark move by Uttarakhand is expected to simplify personal laws and set a precedent for other states to follow.