BS EDIT: Uttarakhand's UCC: Progress or overreach?

By Business StandardPublished On Jan 29, 2025

A historic first

Uttarakhand notifies the Uniform Civil Code, standardising laws on marriage, divorce, and inheritance across communities

Key reforms

Equal inheritance rights, uniform marriage age, and rights for children of live-in relationships promote gender equality

Concerns raised

Mandatory public declarations of marriages and live-ins risk privacy, especially for inter-faith couples

Live-in rules

Registration requires bureaucratic and police approval, raising fears of state intrusion into private lives

Modernity vs tradition

Young professionals exploring flexible relationships face barriers under the UCC’s rigid framework

The road ahead

Balancing gender equality with privacy and individual freedoms is essential for UCC’s success