New Delhi:
Uttarakhand will implement the Uniform Civil Code this afternoon, creating a framework for uniform marriage, divorce, property, inheritance and adoption laws for all citizens. It will become the second state after Goa to have a uniform legal framework for citizens.
The implementation of the code, almost a year after the bill was passed in the state assembly, is one of the BJP’s key poll promises in the 2022 elections. The clauses contain mandatory registration of live-in relationships and parental consent for live-in relationships involving persons under 21 years of age. The rules will apply to “any resident of Uttarakhand… in a live-in relationship outside the state”.
Failure to submit live-in relationship declarations, or providing false information, can land a person in jail for three months, attract a fine of Rs 25,000, or both. Even a month’s delay in registration can trigger a jail term of up to three months, a fine of Rs 10,000, or both.
Additionally, marriages will need to be compulsorily registered and the marriage age will be 21 for both sexes across religions. The aim is to ensure that they can complete their education before getting married. Some other key elements are a complete ban on polygamy, child marriage and triple talaq and a similar procedure for divorce. The code will not apply to Scheduled Tribes.
The purpose of the law is to ensure equality between communities in terms of inheritance rights. The UCC also recognizes children born out of live-in relationships as “legitimate children of the couple” and ensures that they receive equal inheritance rights. Both sons and daughters would be referred to as children, abandoning any gender differences.
The Uniform Civil Code prohibits practices that certain sections of Muslim society follow when a woman loses her husband or gets divorced, including Nikah Halala and Iddat.
(TagstoTranslate) Uttarakhand (T) Uniform Civil Code (T) Live-in Pairs
