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Uniform Civil Code
The Assam assembly on Thursday passed a bill to ban polygamy, making it an offence which may lead to a maximum of 10 years of imprisonment, barring some exceptions. It kept people belonging to the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category and areas under the Sixth Schedule out of the purview of the legislation. During the passage of the Assam Prohibition of Polygamy Bill, 2025, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who also holds the portfolio of the home and political departments, said the law is "irrespective of religion and not against Islam as being perceived by a section". "The Hindus are not free from polygamy. That's also our responsibility. This bill will cover people from Hindu, Muslim, Christian and all other societies," he added. Despite the CM's request to all opposition members to withdraw their respective amendments to send a message from the House that the bill is passed unanimously to empower women, AIUDF and CPI(M) went ahead with their modification suggestions, which were defea
Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Sunday said tribals of the northeast and other areas of the country will be kept out of the ambit of the proposed Uniform Civil Code so that they can live their lives "freely" as per their systems. Speaking at an event organised by the RSS-affiliate Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram here, he clarified the Union government's stand on the issue, saying that "some people create a bizarre atmosphere on social media these days and build a narrative" against the Centre. Rijiju, however, did not mention anybody's name. "Being a Union minister, I want to share the stand of our government. Our government and party (BJP) think about (bringing) a Uniform Civil Code in the country as per the Constitution. When criminal law is equal for all, why should the civil law also not be (equal for everyone)," the minister said. He said some states have already initiated work in this connection. "But we have clearly said that tribals will be exempted from this. Let .
The Gujarat High Court has said the setting up of a five-member committee on Uniform Civil Code (UCC) by the state government cannot be said to have caused prejudice to any class of people, and does not warrant its interference. A single bench of Justice Niral R Mehta on Tuesday rejected a plea challenging the constitution of the committee and seeking the court's direction for its reconstitution as there was no representation of minority communities. The selection of the committee members would be "within the absolute domain of the state government," the court said. On February 4 this year, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel announced the formation of the committee to assess the necessity of the UCC and also to draft a bill for it. The panel is chaired by retired Supreme Court judge Ranjana Desai. Its members include retired IAS officer C L Meena, advocate R C Kodekar, former Vice Chancellor Dakshesh Thakar and social activist Geetaben Shroff. In the detailed judgment made available o
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has exuded confidence the BJP will remain in power at the Centre for at least 30 years due to its consistent performance. In a democracy, he said, the victory of any party depends on its hard work and if it toils day in and and day out and "if you live not for yourself but for the country, victory will be yours". "When I was the national president of the BJP, I had said the BJP will remain in power for the next 30 years. Only 10 years have gone now," he said at the Times Now Summit 2025 Friday night. The senior BJP leader said when a party performs well, it gets the trust of the public and the confidence to win. "But those who do not perform do not have this confidence," he said. Asked about the Uniform Civil Code, the home minister said all BJP-ruled states will introduce the UCC one-by-one as it is one of the key agendas of the BJP since was formed. The home minister said since its inception, the BJP's resolve has been to introduce the UCC in the ..
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday marked three years in office, highlighting the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), strict anti-conversion laws, and a crackdown on illegal mazars and madrassas as key achievements. Giving a "report card" on the state government's performance, Dhami said demographic change was a significant challenge his government faced and affirmed that it will continue to take actions like removing encroachments and verification drive to address the issue. Dhami said his government has tackled issues that were put on the back burner by previous governments. "Illegal mazars, constructions, and madrassas across the state were a big problem. We are conducting a drive against them, and action will continue until Uttarakhand is entirely encroachment-free. We won't hesitate to act against anything illegal," he said at a press conference on the eve of completing three years of his second tenure as Uttarakhand chief minister. The chie
The Uttarakhand High Court has asked the state government whether it can invite suggestions afresh on the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and consider making amendments wherever necessary. A division bench of the high court comprising senior Justices Manoj Tiwari and Ashish Naithani posed the query on Thursday to Solicitor General Tushar Mehta while hearing two new petitions challenging the UCC's provisions regarding live-in relationships. Mehta who attended the hearing via video-conferencing responded by saying all suggestions are always welcome. According to Chief Standing Counsel C S Rawat, the court also orally asked the Solicitor General to request the state assembly to implement necessary amendments to the UCC which was brought into effect in the state on January 27. The court also asked the state through the chief standing counsel whether it would be willing to make the necessary tweaks in the UCC. The PILs heard on Thursday challenged the constitutionality of information sought f
The Congress on Thursday said a uniform civil code as envisaged in Article 44 of the Constitution can only come about after widespread discussion with the objective of building a genuine consensus and cannot become a political instrument designed to keep the country in a state of "permanent polarisation". The opposition party's assertion comes days after the BJP government in Uttarakhand implemented the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the state and the Gujarat government formed a committee under a retired Supreme Court judge to assess the need for the UCC in the state as well as prepare a draft bill for the same. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the Uttarakhand UCC is a poorly drafted piece of legislation that is highly intrusive. "It is not an instrument of legal reform in the slightest as there is nothing that addresses the actual concerns expressed with regard to family law over the last decade. It has been forcibly imposed as an integral part of
Only one live-in relationship has been registered in Uttarakhand's Uniform Civil Code (UCC) portal in the first 10 days of its implementation. Officials claimed that five applications have been received from live-in couples for the mandatory registration. One has been granted registration while four others are being verified, they said. On January 27, the BJP-ruled Uttarakhand became the first state in Independent India to implement the Uniform Civil Code, which promotes equal laws for every citizen across all religions and standardises personal laws on marriage, divorce and property. On the occasion, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami launched a portal designed for the mandatory online registration of marriages, divorce and live-in relationships. He was the first to register his marriage on the UCC portal. The UCC's provision for mandatory registration of live-in relationships has been much criticised for its potential to infringe upon people's right to privacy. However, Chief ...
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), which was implemented in Uttarakhand a day ago, has the same team spirit as sports. Speaking at the inauguration of the National Games at the Rajiv Gandhi international cricket stadium here, he congratulated the Uttarakhand government for implementing the UCC and described it as a "historic step". "UCC has the same team spirit as sports and discriminates against none," Modi said. Uttarakhand on Monday became the first state in independent India to implement the law. The UCC gives priority to protection of personal rights and regulates the laws on marriage, divorce, inheritance, and live-in relationships, among others in the state. The Uniform Civil Code Act, 2024, which applies to all residents of the state irrespective of their religion, also bans polygamy and child marriage. The Act, however, does not apply to the Scheduled Tribes notified under Articles 342 and 366 (25) of the Constitution and persons a
