Uttarakhand UCC

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

By Business StandardPublished On Jan 29, 2025
Pushkar Singh Dhami

A historic first

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

Kumaoni wedding

Key reforms

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

Live-in relationship

Concerns raised

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

Bureaucratic approval

Live-in rules

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

Young people

Modernity vs tradition

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

Balancing gender equality

The road ahead

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