DEHRADUN: The final draft of the Uniform Civil Code was approved by the Uttarakhand Cabinet here, paving the way for its tabling in the state Assembly whose special four-day session begins here on Monday.
The Cabinet passed the UCC draft at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami at his official residence on Sunday.
Uttarakhand is poised to make history as the first state in the country to enact the Uniform Civil Code, with only the final step of passing the proposed legislation in the upcoming assembly session remaining.
The government is set to formalize the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code during a dedicated session of the assembly slated for February 5 and 6.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami told to reporters, "This initiative aligns with the commitment made during his election manifesto to bring uniform civil code in the state".
After the Cabinet meeting, Uttarakhand's Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Premchand Agarwal, told The New Indian Express, "In the 1989, 9th Lok Sabha elections, the BJP included the construction of the Ram Mandir, the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, and the implementation of a Uniform Civil Code in its election manifesto. The party has successfully fulfilled all three of these promises."
It is noteworthy to highlight that marriage registration will be compulsory, with measures implemented to prohibit polygamy or multiple marriages, ensuring equal rights for both spouses in the event of divorce. Girls will be entitled to an equal inheritance share as boys, and the daughter-in-law will bear the responsibility of caring for elderly parents if a working son passes away. Various other substantial modifications have been integrated under the jurisdiction of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC).
For decades, a significant portion of society has been advocating for the implementation of a uniform civil law in the country.
The BJP, currently in power at both the Central and state levels, has long viewed an opportunity to introduce a Uniform Civil Code nationwide. In this context, the BJP government of Uttarakhand, a small Himalayan state, has made a significant decision to implement the Uniform Civil Code.
Party-level sources refrained from any denial about the fact, saying, "The UCC, which is in the BJP's top agenda to implement across the country, the party initially chose Uttarakhand as 'a testing soil' for this new law to implement a uniform law for every citizen of the country.
Sources in the BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) also revealed, 'this move is being closely observed not only within the country but also internationally'.
Despite initial concerns among BJP members, apart from a few political parties, there has been no significant opposition within the state to the upcoming implementation of this law.
