GUWAHATI: The Assam government on Monday tabled “The Uniform Civil Code, Assam, 2026 Bill” in the Assembly, proposing a single civil legal framework for all residents on matters related to marriage, divorce, succession, and live-in relationships.
Under the proposed law, bigamy and polygamy shall invite imprisonment up to seven years under Section 82 of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Atul Bora tabled the Bill on behalf of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
“The introduction of the UCC Bill paves the way for an on-record discussion on why UCC is the need of the hour and how it will help realise the path laid down by our founding fathers,” said Sarma, days after his remarks “our decision on UCC is in sync with our last election commitment.”
Opposition parties opposed the UCC Bill, and demanded that the government consult the stakeholders.
“The government should have held consultations with political parties and non-political organisations before introducing the Bill in the Assembly,” Congress leader Zakir Hussain Sikdar said, alleging that UCC is a “political agenda” of ruling BJP.
Recently, several Muslim religious and social organisations had also demanded a wider consultation. Assam is the third state after Uttarakhand and Gujarat to introduce UCC.
The Assam UCC Bill explicitly excludes Scheduled Tribes to preserve their constitutional protections, while replacing various religion-based personal laws to ensure absolute equality and gender justice.
The Bill mandates monogamy and sets a standardised legal age of 21 years for grooms and 18 years for brides. “The legislation safeguards cultural diversity by granting full freedom of ritual, allowing marriages to be solemnised through any existing religious ceremony or custom, including Vedic Bibah, Ahom Chaklong, Saptapadi, Ashirvad, Nikah, Holy Union, Anand Karaj,” a government statement said.
The government said the registration of all marriages and divorces would now be made compulsory to prevent fraud. Couples must deliver a marriage memorandum to the Sub-Registrar within 60 days of the ceremony. Furthermore, the Bill codifies uniform grounds for divorce – such as cruelty, desertion, or mutual consent – and ensures early childhood custody of children under five ordinarily remains with the mother.
In terms of succession, the Bill creates a uniform, gender-equal order of preference for intestate inheritance among Class-1 heirs, which equitably includes the spouse, children, and parents of the deceased. For testamentary succession, any adult of sound mind is granted the legal right to execute a written, witnessed Will.
Addressing modern family dynamics, the Bill introduces pioneer regulations for live-in relationships by making their registration mandatory within one month. It protects vulnerable individuals by declaring that any child born out of a live-in relationship is fully legitimate, and by granting a deserted live-in partner the explicit legal standing to claim financial maintenance through the courts.
This Bill sends a strong and unambiguous message that exploitation, fraud and unlawful practices in personal relationships shall not be tolerated.
Child marriage and marriage without valid consent shall attract imprisonment up to two years or fine or both. Fraudulent or deceptive marriages through force, coercion or concealment shall be punishable with imprisonment up to seven years along with fine.
Violation of lawful divorce procedure and illegal dissolution of marriage shall invite imprisonment up to three years and fine, while compelling a divorced person to fulfil unlawful conditions before remarriage shall attract three years imprisonment and a penalty of Rs 1 lakh. Marriage within prohibited relationships, unless protected by valid customs, shall be punishable with imprisonment up to six months and fine up to Rs 50,000.
Further, deliberate non-registration of marriage or divorce within 60 days shall attract a penalty of Rs 10,000. Submission of forged or fabricated documents during registration shall invite imprisonment up to three months or fine up to Rs 25,000 or both.
Similarly, failure to register a live-in relationship within one month shall attract imprisonment up to three months or fine up to Rs 10,000, while concealment of material facts or furnishing false information in such declarations shall invite imprisonment up to three months and fine up to Rs 25,000. These provisions are aimed at protecting women, ensuring legal transparency and strengthening social accountability in the state.
Finally, the Bill repeals the Assam Compulsory Registration of Muslim Marriages and Divorces Act, 2024 to streamline the state’s statutory architecture. However, an essential savings clause is included to ensure that any polygamous marriage solemnized prior to the enforcement of UCC will be regularized and legally protected.
“This entire codification successfully balances legal uniformity with cultural sensitivities, positioning Assam as a highly progressive and cohesive state,” the statement said.
