Uttarakhand UCC
Dehradun: The report of the Uttarakhand Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Committee has now been made public. Shatrughan Singh, chairman of the UCC Rules and Implementation Committee, said on Friday that the committee is trying to ensure that the information provided by live-in couples remains completely confidential, but it believes that information about live-in couples aged 18-21 years should be given to their parents. The UCC Act passed in February this year makes registration of marriage and live-in relationships mandatory. The report in four volumes of the expert committee constituted under the chairmanship of Justice (Retd.) Ranjana Prakash to draft the UCC was uploaded on the website ‘www.ucc.uk.gov.in’ on Friday so that people can see it.
Expert Committee formed on 27 May 2022
The BJP government led by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, which came to power after winning the assembly elections for the second consecutive time, constituted this five-member expert committee on 27 May 2022. This committee took suggestions from 2.33 lakh people through 43 dialogue programs directly and through other means and submitted its report to the state government on February 2 this year. Singh, who was also a part of the expert committee, said that this report was not made public earlier due to the implementation of the code of conduct. In a press conference here, he said that the rules and regulations making for the implementation of UCC and the implementation committee will ensure that the confidentiality of the information provided by the people at the time of registration of marriage and live-in relationships is not breached under any circumstances.
Parents should also be kept in confidence
When asked whether mandatory informing of parents of couples between 18 and 21 years of age living in live-in relationships is not an invasion of their privacy, Singh said it is a matter of debate. He said, “The data of couples above 21 years of age living in live-in relationships will be completely protected. But for couples between 18 and 21 years of age (despite them having the right to vote), the committee believes that this age is delicate and for the safety of the couples, their parents should also be taken into confidence.”
The first state in the country to make UCC law
The UCC bill was passed after a long discussion of two days in a special session of the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly called in February this year. After the Governor of the state, President Draupadi Murmu also approved it in March. Uttarakhand is the first state in the country to make such a law in the history of independent India. This Act provides for a uniform law for marriage, property, alimony and inheritance for citizens of all religions and communities living in the state. However, scheduled tribes have been kept out of the purview of this bill. It has a provision to ban social evils like child marriage, polygamy, halala, iddat while protecting the rights of women and children. Under this, registration of marriage has been made mandatory and there is a provision to deprive the government facilities if this is not done.
Second marriage is completely prohibited
Second marriage while the husband and wife are alive is completely prohibited whereas the minimum age for marriage in all religions is 21 years for boys and 18 years for girls. If one person in a married couple changes his/her religion without the consent of the other person, then the other person will have full right to divorce and take maintenance from that person. At the time of divorce or domestic dispute between the husband and wife, the custody of a child up to five years will remain with his/her mother. In all religions, husband and wife will have equal right to divorce. Son and daughter will have equal right in ancestral property. Ending the discrimination between children born out of wedlock and live-in for property rights, every child will be considered a ‘legitimate’ child.
UCC is not an attack on the religious freedom of any class
Responding to another question, Singh said that while taking suggestions from the people while drafting the UCC, about eight to 10 percent of the people had said that the issue of population control should also be included in it. However, he said that this issue was not included by the committee as it was not within its purview. Singh, a former Chief Secretary of the state, said that the committee had also examined whether it was within the jurisdiction of the states to bring the UCC. He said that the committee found that there was no constitutional impediment in doing so. He said that the committee also found that the UCC is not an attack on the religious freedom of any class. Singh said, “The work of making rules for the implementation of UCC is going on in full swing and it is likely to be completed soon.” When asked about the recent statement of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami regarding the implementation of UCC from October, Singh said that the committee is making every effort to ensure that it is implemented within the same time frame. (Language)