Rajasthan Cabinet Clears UCC Bill 2026, To Be Tabled In Assembly

Jaipur: Following other BJP-ruled states like Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, MP, Asam, and Gujarat, Rajasthan has cleared the Rajasthan Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill, 2026. The Rajasthan Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, on Thursday also approved the Rajasthan Trees (Protection) Bill, 2026. Both bills are likely to be introduced in the session of the state Assembly commencing from August 20th.

The proposed UCC seeks to bring uniformity to laws governing marriage, divorce, inheritance, maintenance, and live-in relationships in Rajasthan.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel said the draft had been prepared in line with the spirit of Article 44 of the Constitution and on the recommendations of an expert committee headed by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai.

He said that the UCC will not apply to Scheduled Tribes and other communities whose traditional rights are protected under the Constitution.

Under the proposed law, registration of marriages will be mandatory, and polygamy will be prohibited. However, communities will retain the freedom to solemnize marriages according to their respective customs and rituals, including Saptapadi, Nikah, and Anand Karaj.

The draft of the bill provides that all marriages solemnized after the law comes into force will have to be registered within 60 days. The draft also provides for written notification or registration of the commencement and termination of live-in relationships to safeguard the rights of both partners.

The bill proposes that the registrar will have to issue a marriage or divorce registration certificate within 15 days of receiving the application or reject it in writing, citing reasons. An applicant can appeal against the rejection before the Registrar General within 30 days, with the appeal required to be disposed of within 60 days.

There is provision of penalty as well. Failure to register a marriage could attract a fine of up to Rs 10,000, while ignoring a notice could lead to a penalty of up to Rs 25,000. A registrar found deliberately delaying or neglecting the registration process could also face a fine of up to Rs 25,000.

The bill lays down a judicial mechanism for disputes arising after marriage and provides for annulment of marriages on grounds including violation of the law, forced or fraudulent consent, and impotence.

The minister said that the proposed UCC provides equal inheritance rights to sons and daughters. In cases where a person dies intestate, the property will be distributed according to a specified order of succession.

The first category includes the surviving spouse, children, spouses, and children of deceased children, and parents. The second category covers stepparents, siblings, and the spouses and children of deceased siblings, the parents' siblings, and grandparents. Other relatives will fall under a third category.

If no legal heir is found in these categories, the property will devolve upon the government, which will also inherit all liabilities and obligations attached to the property.

A child in the womb at the time of a person's death will also have full inheritance rights if subsequently born alive.

The Cabinet also approved the draft Rajasthan Trees (Protection) Bill, 2026, aimed at protecting the environment and biodiversity and preventing illegal felling of trees on non-forest land. The bill has been brought following agitations to save the Khejari tree in western Rajasthan a few months ago.

The bill proposes special protection and promotion of 29 important tree species, including the state tree khejri, state flower rohida, banyan, peepal, lasoda, tendu, mahua, ker, and chironji.

Illegal felling of trees on non-forest land will be treated as a cognizable and bailable offense. Conviction could result in imprisonment of up to one year, a fine of up to Rs 1 lakh, or both.

No person will be allowed to cut or cause the cutting of a tree standing on land owned or occupied by them without prior permission from the authorized authority. Where permission is granted for cutting or removing a tree, the person will be required to plant a prescribed number of trees in the same area for every tree removed.

The government said the legislation is intended to strengthen conservation of trees that have particular significance for rural and tribal communities and could provide direct benefits to livelihoods and the rural economy, particularly in tribal and desert regions of the state.