The Uttarakhand government made waves in January this year after adopting an Uniform Civil Code — the first state to do so in independent India. Nearly 10 months later the UCC is back in news headlines as the state moves to make several key amendments. The decision came even as the High Court heard a clutch of petitions challenging the Act.
What will change?
The 78-page affidavit filed by the Uttarakhand government indicates that several provisions are being amended under the Uniform Civil Code. This includes several changes to the rules governing live-in relationships and Aadhaar-based authentication.
addressed concerns surrounding privacy by culling Aadhaar-based authentication, disclosure of children born in a live-in relationship during its termination, registrar’s authority to inform parents or legal guardians of registrants under the age of 21, and changes in furnishing supporting documents while registering a live-in relationship.
The affidavit read that the proposed changes focus on improving the process for registration and termination of cohabiting relationships, lending greater clarity in sharing information with the police, and extending the appeal period for rejected applications.
The amended provisions seek to limit the scope of data sharing between the registrar and the local police, making it clear that this is being done solely for “record-keeping purposes.” The proposed amendments also include changes related to the mandatory use of Aadhaar as proof of identity in various registration and declaration processes.
These changes primarily aim to provide “flexibility” by allowing alternative identification documents in cases where applicants cannot provide Aadhaar, especially in cases where they are not the primary applicant.
The affidavit also said that an amendment proposes to increase the time period for applicants to challenge the registrar’s decision rejecting a declaration of cohabitation from 30 days to 45 days from the date of receipt of the rejection order.
