First state to approve the UCC bill is Uttarakhand

DEHRADUN: On Tuesday, Chief Minister Dhami introduced the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) bill in the state assembly. On Wednesday, the measure was approved by the house. It will be signed into law by the president and governor, making Uttarakhand the first post-independence state to use UCC.
Towards the end of the day, the law was approved by voice vote at around 6 p.m., despite opposition members’ demands that it be sent to a standing committee for further investigation of certain aspects, such as the registration of cohabitation.

The measure, which focuses on four major topics—marriage, divorce, inheritance, and cohabitation—has seven schedules and 392 parts. In addition to granting men and women equal inheritance rights, there are requirements to eliminate the practices of polygamy, polyandry, halala, and iddat. Live-in relationships must be registered according to strict regulations; not doing so may result in a fine of up to Rs 25,000 and/or a prison sentence of up to six months.
“Today is the start of a positive movement which aims to bring uniformity in society and at the same time, empower women and make them self-reliant,” the chief minister said during his speech to the chamber.