Uttarakhand govt decides to implement Uniform Civil Code, expert committee to be constituted

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Thursday said his government has decided to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC). He said the cabinet has unanimously approved that an expert committee will be constituted at the earliest and it will be implemented in the state.

"We have decided to implement Uniform Civil Code in the state. The state cabinet unanimously approved that a committee (of experts) will be constituted at the earliest & it will implemented in the state. This will be the first state to do so," news agency ANI quoted Dhami as saying.

Earlier, Dhami had said soon after being sworn in as Chief Minister, his government will set up a committee consisting of legal experts, intellectuals and other stakeholders to draft a Uniform Civil Code.

He said he had already made the commitment during the run-up to the assembly polls.

“Uttarakhand represents the cultural soul of the country and it deserves to have a Uniform Civil Code. We will also fulfil all other commitments made by us,” he said.

The Uniform Civil Code (UCC) is basically the formulation of one law related to personal issues such as marriage, divorce, succession, and adoption for all citizens of the country, irrespective of their religion or faith. It comes under Article 44 of the Constitution. However, as per different religions, different laws are currently in place for such matters in the country. There is the Hindu Marriage Act, Hindu Succession Act, Indian Christian Marriages Act, Parsi Marriage and Divorce Act. On the other hand, the Muslim personal laws are based on their religious texts.

Reportedly, many other countries including France, United Kingdom (UK), United States (US), Australia, Germany, etc. already have similar laws in place which ensures the principle of one country, one law.

Published on: Thursday, March 24, 2022, 06:23 PM IST