- Assam government introduced the Uniform Civil Code bill in the state assembly on Monday
- The UCC aims to unify personal laws on marriage, divorce, inheritance, and live-in relationships
- The bill includes minimum marriage age, abolishing polygamy, women's inheritance rights, and registrations
In a very significant development, the Assam government has tabled the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) bill in the state assembly on Monday. Assam Parliamentary Affairs Minister Atul Bora introduced the bill on behalf of chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, amid opposition MLAs trying to raise their voices against the bill, asking the speaker not to approve the tabling of the bill.
The Assam Cabinet last week approved the draft of the Uniform Civil Code.
While the function of the Assam Assembly has been extended by one day to May 27, discussion on the bill is likely to take place on Tuesday, sources added.
The Cabinet decision comes ahead of the first session of the newly elected Assam Legislative Assembly.
The proposed UCC in Assam would be limited to fixing a uniform minimum age for marriage, abolition of polygamy, inheritance rights for women, and regulation of live-in relationships, including compulsory registration of marriages and divorces, parliamentary affairs minister Atul Bora had earlier told NDTV.
The purpose of the UCC is to enforce a single, unified set of personal laws governing marriage, divorce, inheritance, and adoption for all citizens, regardless of faith, is what the govt has maintained.
According to government sources, the proposed legislation aims to address issues including the legal age of marriage, polygamy, inheritance, and live-in relationships.
Earlier the chief minister had categorically said that tribal communities living in both the hill and plain regions of the state will also be exempted from the provisions of the proposed law.
Assam is set to become the third state, after Uttarakhand and Gujarat, to table and pass a Uniform Civil Code Bill.
The Uniform Civil Code is a proposal in India to formulate and implement personal laws of citizens which apply equally to all citizens, regardless of their religion.
Currently, personal laws of different religious communities are governed by their religious scriptures. Personal laws cover marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption and maintenance.
While articles 25-28 of the Indian Constitution guarantee religious freedom to Indian citizens and allow religious groups to maintain their own affairs, article 44 expects the Indian state to apply directive principles and common law uniformly to all Indian citizens when formulating national policies.
