The historic Uniform Civil Code (UCC) 2024 Bill was presented in the Assembly by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Tuesday. After passing this bill in the House and completing all the legal processes and formalities, Uttarakhand will become the first state in the country to implement UCC.
All the provisions of the UCC have been explained in detail in the draft.
Uniform Civil Code explained
The UCC recommends equal rights for men and women in all religions and sects. The culture, beliefs and customs of any religion will not be affected by this law.
This law will protect children and women's rights. All Scheduled Tribes have been kept out of the ambit of UCC.
Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami arrived to participate in the assembly proceedings at around 11 am with a copy of the draft of the UCC.
Assembly erupts in joy
As soon as he presented the bill, the entire House echoed with the cheers of 'Bharat Mata ki Jai'. The expert committee had launched the draft from Mana, the country's first village located on the India-China border in Chamoli district. The draft has been finalised after 43 public dialogue programs, 72 meetings and brainstorming with migrant Uttarakhandis.
UCC draft details
The draft specifically covers matters related to marriage, divorce, inheritance and adoption. There has been no tampering with the traditions and customs of any religion, caste, religion or sect. Religious beliefs will not make any difference in the marital process. Scheduled Tribes have been kept out of the scope of this law. Parties to marriage are clearly defined in the Code. Marriages can take place only between one man and one woman. Special attention has been paid to the rights of children and their protection, whether legitimate or illegitimate.
Protection of Children's Rights
The age of marriage in the Code has been set at 21 years for boys and 18 years for girls. In matters related to divorce, men and women have the same reasons and rights for taking divorce. Any kind of conditions have been prohibited for a woman to remarry (be it to the same old divorced person or to some other person), this will end the evil practices like Halala, Iddat. If a case like Halala comes to light, there is a provision of 3 years' imprisonment or a fine of Rs 1 lakh or both. If one person in a married couple changes his religion without the consent of the other person, then the other person will have full right to divorce that person and take maintenance allowance. It will be prohibited to marry again if one of the spouses is alive.
Mandatory Registration and Government Benefits
It will be mandatory to register marriage and divorce, failing which the couple concerned will be deprived of the benefits of all government facilities. In case of divorce or domestic dispute between husband and wife, the custody of the child up to 5 years of age will remain with the mother.
Equality in Inheritance
In the Code, equal rights in property have been given to sons and daughters for all classes. No distinction has been made between legitimate and illegitimate children. Illegitimate children, adopted children, children born through surrogacy and children born through assisted reproductive technology are also considered to be the biological children of the couple. After the death of a person, his wife and children are given equal rights in his property. His parents are also given equal rights in his property. Whereas in old laws only the mother had rights in the property of the deceased. The property rights of the child in a woman's womb are also protected. According to the provisions of the Code, any person can give his property to any person by will.
