UCC Bill Gets Assam Cabinet Nod Along with Development Measures

The State government of Assam has approved the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill. Along side with this State cabinet has also announced the spending cuts, job creation plans and cultural infrastructure projects as part of Governance agenda.

Assam Cabinet Approves Draft Uniform Civil Code Bill

The Assam Cabinet led by Respectable Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has approved the draft Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill and marked a major legal and political development.

The Bill is expected to be introduced in the State Assembly of Assam on May 26.

According to the state government the newly proposed law will deal with several important civil matters, including,

• Marriage
• Divorce
• Property succession
• Live-in relationships
• Compulsory marriage registration
• Mandatory divorce registration

The move makes Assam one of the few Indian states which are actively moving towards thestate-level UCC framework.

What Is Uniform Civil Code?

A Uniform Civil Code refers to the common set of civil laws applicable to citizens regardless of their religion in areas such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption and succession.

Currently, many of these matters are governed by the religionbased personal laws in India.

UCC promotes,

• Equality before law
• Legal uniformity
• Simpler civil dispute resolution
• Greater transparency in family law matters

Tribal Communities and Religious Customs Exempted

One of the most significant aspects of the Assam’s proposed UCC is its exemption framework.

The Chief Minister clarified that the Tribal communities will be fully exempted.

Additionally, the following will remain outside the UCC’s scope,

• Religious rituals
• Traditional customs
• Cultural practices
• Community traditions

Assam’s UCC Move in National Context

The UCC remains India’s one of the most debated legal reform topics.

According to the Assam government other states that have taken similar steps include,

• Goa (existing civil code framework)
• Uttarakhand
• Gujarat (state-level progress cited by government)

The Assam government says this move will fulfills an election commitment made earlier.