Government-appointed panel framing rules for implementation of UCC in Uttarakhand

The adoption of the Uniform Civil Code in Uttarakhand would take some time because a state government-appointed commission, led by former chief secretary Shatrughna Singh, is working on developing its guidelines.

The implementation of the Uniform Civil Code in Uttarakhand will take some more time as a state government-appointed panel, headed by former chief secretary Shatrughna Singh, is working on framing its rules.

The Uniform Civil Code bill was passed by the state assembly and also received the presidential assent recently after which it has become a law.

A gazette notification has been issued on the presidential assent to the bill and its becoming an act but another notification will have to be issued before its actual implementation after the panel frames the rules related to putting it into effect, said Shailesh Bagauli, Secretary to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.

The panel was set up last month, about a week after the bill was passed by the assembly and sent to the president for her assent.

Former chief secretary Singh, who heads the panel formulating the rules for the implementation of the Act, was also part of the committee chaired by retired Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai whihc drafting the UCC for Uttarakhand.

With the presidential assent to the UCC bill, Uttarakhand has become the first state in the country after Independence to take a decisive step towards implementing it. Protection of women’s rights across all faiths is stated to be at the core of the UCC which addresses areas such as marriage, divorce, inheritance and live-in relationships. It bans practices like polygamy, child marriage, Iddat and Halala besides making registration of marriages and live-in relationships mandatory.

It has made stringent provisions for any violations rules related to the reistration of live-in relationships.

It also makes no discrimination between legitimate and illegitimate children giving them equal rights. It also gives sons and daughters equal inheritance rights.

There is excitement in the BJP ranks as the presidential assent to the bill comes ahead of the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls.

Bringing a UCC in Uttarakhand was a major promise made by Dhami to the people of the state in the run-up to the 2022 assembly elections.

On several occasions in the recent past, the chief minister has attributed the historic mandate for a second consecutive term in office for the BJP to its commitment on UCC.