A state government-appointed panel formed to prepare a draft of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) submitted the document to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday.
The draft, prepared by the five-member committee led by retired Supreme Court Judge Ranjana Prakash Desai, aims to establish a legal framework for uniform marriage, divorce, land, property, and inheritance laws applicable to all citizens, regardless of their religion in the state.
If implemented, Uttarakhand would become the first state in the country post-Independence to adopt the UCC, following Goa where it has been operational since Portuguese rule.
A special four-day session of the Uttarakhand Assembly has been scheduled from February 5-8 to pass legislation on the UCC. The draft will undergo discussion in a state Cabinet meeting before being presented as a Bill in the Assembly.
Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Dhami, via his official social media handle, announced the submission of the draft, referring to his commitment to implementing the Uniform Civil Code in the state. He cited the day as the most important, highlighting the vision of ‘Ek Bharat-Shrestha Bharat’ by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Sharing images on social media, Dhami mentioned the reception of the draft from the committee and stated that a Uniform Civil Code bill would be introduced in the upcoming assembly session, aiming for immediate implementation.
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Dhami wrote, “Moving forward in the direction of implementing the Uniform Civil Code as per the resolution placed before the godlike people of Uttarakhand, the draft was received today from the committee formed for the purpose of preparing the UCC draft in Dehradun.”
“A Uniform Civil Code bill will be introduced in the upcoming assembly session and will be implemented as a law as soon as possible,” he added.
Constituted in May 2022 initially for a six-month period, the panel received four extensions to thoroughly scrutinise all facets before concluding its report. In the process, it meticulously considered 2.33 lakh written suggestions and convened 60 meetings, engaging with approximately 60,000 individuals.
The enactment of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) would fulfil a substantial commitment made by the BJP in the run-up to the 2022 Assembly polls, playing a pivotal role in their overwhelming victory and securing a consecutive term in power—an unprecedented feat in the political history of the state since its inception in 2000.