♦ Uttarakhand became the first state in India to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) on 27 January 2025. Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also launched the UCC portal to be used by people for registration of marriage, divorce, rights of inheritance, live-in relationship and its termination under the UCC, and released the rules that will govern implementation of the law. Dhami announced that the implementation of the UCC aims to bring uniformity in personal civil matters that have, in the past, discriminated based on caste, religion, gender, and other factors.
♦ The Uttarakhand Uniform Civil Code Act, 2024, will streamline various personal laws, including those related to marriage, divorce, succession, and inheritance. Under the UCC, marriages can only be solemnized between individuals who meet specific legal criteria, such as both parties being mentally competent, and having reached the legal age- 21 years for men and 18 years for women. Additionally, marriage registration will be mandatory for all marriages taking place after the implementation of the Act, with a 60-day deadline for registration.
♦ The UCC also provides provisions for recognizing marriages solemnized before March 26, 2010, or outside of Uttarakhand, under certain conditions, allowing them to be registered within six months of the Act’s implementation.
♦ The Act applies to all residents of Uttarakhand, including those residing outside the state, but excludes Scheduled Tribes and certain protected communities.