Assam is set to be the third state, after Uttarakhand and Gujarat, to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Thursday. Sarma further said that the draft bill for the state will be tailored to suit the “Assam model”, adding that tribals will be exempted from the UCC.
“Assam will bring its own version of the UCC after Uttrakhand and Gujarat. I am waiting for the two states to do it. We are already fighting child marriage and polygamy. So the Assam bill will have some tweaks. There will be Assam-centric innovation in the bill. We will exempt tribals from the ambit of UCC,” Sarma said, reported NDTV.
The Assam CM noted that the bill will be introduced in the state assembly this year after it is implemented by Uttrakhand and Gujarat.
What is Uniform Civil Code (UCC)?
UCC means one law which would apply to all religious communities in matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption, maintenance etc. India has a uniform or one set of ‘criminal code’ for all its citizens but doesn’t have uniform civil law.
The code comes under Article 44 of the Constitution, which states that the State must seek to ensure for people a uniform civil code across India’s territory.
Article 44 of the Indian constitution which is part of the directive principles of the state policy reads, “The state shall endeavour to secure for citizens a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) throughout the territory of India.”
In December 2023, the Uttarakhand government approved the decisions taken by an expert panel drafting the Uniform Civil Code for the state.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stressed the importance of a single legal framework stating that the country cannot function with dual laws. According to PM Modi, the UCC aligns with the fundamental principles and ideals of the Constitution.
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