- Gujarat Legislative Assembly passed the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill, 2026, making it the second Indian state after Uttarakhand to enact a UCC.
About the Gujrat UCC Bill, 2026
- Coverage: The code replaces diverse religious statutes with a standardised civil framework for marriage, divorce, and inheritance.
- Gender Parity: It mandates that sons and daughters hold identical legal rights regarding the inheritance of all property.
- Registration Deadline: All marriages must be officially registered within 60 days, and live-in relationships within 30 days.
- Monogamous Mandate: The legislation strictly prohibits polygamy and bigamy, enforcing a one-spouse rule across all faith groups.
- Judicial Exclusivity: All separations must be processed through civil courts, effectively abolishing all forms of out-of-court or customary divorce.
- Tribal Exemption: The state’s Scheduled Tribes are exempted from the code’s application to protect their specific customary identities.
- Constitutional Mandate: Article 44 of the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP) places a non-justiciable directive on the State to secure a uniform civil code nationwide.
- Rights Conflict: UCC seeks to resolve the conflict between Article 25 (Religious Freedom) and Article 14 (Equality before Law) through uniform civil procedures.
- Judicial Consistency: Courts have consistently endorsed a UCC from Shah Bano (1985) to recent 2026 rulings as central to secular national identity.
- First State: Uttarakhand became the first state to pass its own UCC legislation in 2024.
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Source (DDN)
Frequently Asked Questions
Which state recently passed the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill in 2026?
Gujarat passed the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill in 2026.
Which was the first Indian state to implement UCC?
Uttarakhand became the first state to enact a UCC in 2024.
What is the main objective of the Gujarat UCC Bill 2026?
It aims to replace religion-based personal laws with a uniform civil legal framework.
What is the Uniform Civil Code (UCC)?
UCC is a common set of civil laws governing personal matters for all citizens irrespective of religion.
What fundamental rights are linked to the UCC debate?
It involves Article 14 (Equality) and Article 25 (Religious Freedom).
