Halala outlawed, polygamy banned and new live-in rules: How Gujarat UCC bill is modelled on Uttarakhand law

• Gujarat cabinet approves Uniform Civil Code Bill for tabling
• Bill covers marriage, divorce, succession, live-in relationships
• Polygamy banned; registration of marriages and divorces mandatory

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Gujarat has moved a significant step closer to enacting a Uniform Civil Code, with the state cabinet on Wednesday ratifying the Gujarat Uniform Civil Code (UCC) 2026 Bill — a sweeping legislation drawn largely from the Uttarakhand UCC Act — and forwarding it to the assembly secretariat for tabling in the ongoing session.

The bill proposes a comprehensive legal framework governing marriage, divorce, succession and live-in relationships for all communities in the state, with exemptions for members of Scheduled Tribes, TOI reported.

The bill was drafted on the recommendations of a committee headed by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Desai, which the state government had constituted to assess the need for a UCC and prepare a draft. The committee submitted its final report to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Tuesday, a day before the cabinet approved it, as per the report.

Live-in relationships, registration and legitimacy of children

Among the more consequential provisions, the bill mandates that partners in a live-in relationship formally submit a statement of their relationship to the district registrar within whose jurisdiction they reside. Termination of such a relationship must also be officially notified, the report added.

Crucially, any child born of a live-in relationship will be treated as a legitimate child of the couple. A woman deserted by her live-in partner will be entitled to claim maintenance.

The bill also makes registration of marriages and divorces compulsory, even while permitting ceremonies to be conducted according to religious customs and practices. Non-compliance will attract penalties of up to Rs 10,000, TOI reported .

Polygamy banned, halala practice effectively outlawed

The bill bans polygamy outright, with violations carrying a prison term of up to seven years. Marriages performed under force or coercion will similarly attract both a fine and imprisonment of up to seven years.

In what sources described as a direct reference to the Islamic practice of halala, the bill explicitly provides that a divorced couple may remarry each other without any precondition — including the condition of the woman first marrying and divorcing a third person before the remarriage. Persons found in violation of this provision face imprisonment of up to three years and a fine of Rs 1 lakh. The TOI report cited sources in confirming the halala reference.

Marriageable age and succession framework

The minimum age for marriage has been fixed at 21 for men and 18 for women. A marriage will be considered voidable if either partner is found to have provided misleading information at the time of solemnisation, the report noted.

On succession, the bill establishes a three-tier hierarchy of heirs for cases where a person dies intestate — that is, without leaving a will. Class 1 heirs will comprise the spouse, children and parents. Class 2 heirs will include step-parents, paternal grandparents and maternal grandparents. All others will be classified under a residual category of "other relatives."

Objects and rationale

The statement of objects and reasons accompanying the bill states that, after extensive stakeholder consultations, the Justice Desai committee recommended the adoption of a Uniform Civil Code to ensure equality, justice and harmony in matters of marriage, divorce, succession, adoption and related civil affairs, the report added.

The bill, it further states, aims to provide a uniform legal framework for all citizens of the state irrespective of religion, caste, creed or gender and seeks to uphold the principles of secularism, gender justice and social reform.

Gujarat becomes one of the few states in India to pursue a UCC at the state level, following Uttarakhand, which enacted its own UCC legislation in 2024.

Uttarakhand UCC blueprint Gujarat has borrowed from

Uttarakhand, which enacted the original legislation that Gujarat has now drawn upon, moved to strengthen its own Uniform Civil Code on 26th January 2026, implementing an amendment ordinance that introduced around 18 changes to the UCC Act, 2024.

The ordinance, promulgated by the Governor under Article 213 of the Constitution with immediate effect, introduced tougher penal measures against coercion and fraud in marriage and live-in relationships, alongside procedural and administrative improvements aimed at more effective and transparent implementation.

The Chief Minister's Office stated that the amendments furthered the UCC's broader objectives of promoting women's empowerment, protecting children's rights and ensuring equality in civil rights, while also simplifying procedures under the code.