UCC registration unrelated to residence certificate: Expert committee

Professor Surekha Dangwal, a member of the expert committee that drafted the Uttarakhand Uniform Civil Code in Uttarakhand and the Vice Chancellor of Doon University, has clarified that the registration under UCC has nothing to do with the domicile or Permanent Residence Certificate of the state.

Professor Surekha Dangwal said that all the people living in Uttarakhand have been brought under its purview for at least one year so that the demography of Uttarakhand can be preserved.

Issuing a statement on UCC provisions, Professor Surekha Dangwal said that UCC is related to services like marriage, divorce, live-in, will and that it is not possible to link it with permanent residence or domicile in any way.

"Apart from this, there are no additional benefits from UCC registration. Permanent residence in Uttarakhand will be decided as per the previous conditions, this subject was not even before the Uniform Civil Code Committee," said Dangwal.

Adding further, she said, "The registration under UCC allows a person to make his voter card if he has a normal residence anywhere. Through this, personal laws have been regulated. So that the society and culture of Uttarakhand can be protected, this will ensure the protection of the demography of Uttarakhand."

She said that a large number of people from other states who reside in the state are taking advantage of government schemes in Uttarakhand.

"Such people will now be able to take advantage of government schemes only after getting registered. If this was applicable only to permanent residents, then many people coming from other states would have been left out of its scope, while they would have continued to take advantage of all the government schemes here," she said.

Dangwal said that Uttarakhand does not have the details of marriage, divorce, live-in relationships of such people from the state.

Its purpose is to make the government's database more rich along with providing registration facility under UCC to all the people living in Uttarakhand.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on January 27 announced the official implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the state.

To commemorate this milestone, Chief Minister Dhami said that January 27 will be observed annually as "UCC Diwas," highlighting its significance in India's post-independence history.

With this decision, Uttarakhand became one of the first states to implement the UCC.

Chief Minister Dhami highlighted that an expert committee drafted the UCC after consulting 2.35 lakh individuals and stated that by implementing the UCC, the state government is paying tribute to the Constitution's architect, Dr BR Ambedkar, and all members of the Constituent Assembly.

The CM has categorically clarified that the UCC is not against any religion or sect. It aims to eradicate social evils and establish equality.

The Chief Minister explained that the UCC is a constitutional measure aimed at eliminating legal discrimination based on caste, religion, or gender. It ensures equal rights for all citizens, promotes women's safety and empowerment, and prohibits practices like halala, triple talaq, and iddat.

According to the state government, this act applies to the entire area of the state of Uttarakhand and is also effective on the residents of the state living outside Uttarakhand.

The UCC applies to all residents of Uttarakhand, except Scheduled Tribes and protected authority-empowered persons and communities.

Uttarakhand has become the first state to implement a UCC, aiming to simplify and standardise personal laws related to marriage, divorce, succession, and inheritance.