Uttarakhand UCC live-in bill: ‘legitimate’ tag for children, fin relief for mothers who have abandoned

The registrar in Uttarakhand will check the information provided by live-in couples and may do an investigation to determine the legitimacy of the partnership. In the event that these couples choose to rent or purchase real estate in the hill state, they must register as live-in couples.

Notably, a kid born within a live-in partnership will be regarded as “legitimate” and will be entitled to all the same legal protections as a child born into a marriage.According to the measure, ending the partnership must also be announced in a way that follows the government’s guidelines. According to the measure, a woman has the right to maintenance if her live-in spouse leaves her.
Scheduled tribes in the state whose customary rights are safeguarded by Section 21 of the Constitution are exempt from the provisions of the UCC.
Other measures include equal rights to inheritance for sons and daughters, mandatory marriage and divorce registration within 60 days, and an equal marriage age of 18 years for women of all religions. The measure also outlines the provisions pertaining to alimony and the maintenance that women must receive.
The measure mandates that weddings solemnized after the introduction of the UCC be registered within 60 days of the ceremony. Failing to do so may result in a 10,000 rupee fine.
After the Uttarakhand Compulsory Marriage Registration Act, 2010 went into force on March 26, 2010, marriages that were solemnized would need to be registered within six months of that date. Marriages performed before to March 26, 2010, in which at least one partner resides in Uttarakhand, may choose to be registered.
According to the law, a marriage that deviates from the prescribed rules would result in a six-month prison sentence and a fine of Rs 50,000. If the fee is not paid on time, the jail term will also be extended by one month.
According to section 29 of the bill, marriages would also be dissolved in line with the predetermined UCC rules, “notwithstanding any usage, custom, tradition, personal law of any party to the marriage or any enactment to the contrary.”
A breach of section 29 carries a fine in addition to a maximum three-year prison sentence. After the law was tabled, CM Dhami addressed the media, saying, “This is a historic moment, and the entire country is looking up to us.” Women are given security and empowerment by the UCC. It is our great fortune to be headed toward being the first state to use UCC since independence.”
A measure granting statehood activists and their families a 10% horizontal reservation in government positions was also introduced by the CM.
Before taking part in any debate on the topic, opposition Congress MLAs asked for additional time to study the 192-page UCC bill draft that was presented before the state legislature on Tuesday. Speaker Ritu Khanduri Bhushan then postponed the House till 2:00 p.m. in order to give the Congress members more time.
The Business Advisory Committee said that the measure was scheduled to be introduced and approved on Tuesday.
Opposition leader Yashpal Arya said, “The BJP was not prepared to listen to the opposition since it lacked the necessary strength for a majority in the House. We speak for the people as well. I don’t see why this is being treated with such haste. It is not feasible to read and comprehend the technical material in two hours.”
“The bill should be moved to the Uttarakhand assembly’s standing committee so that any shortcomings can be fixed,” he said. The group that wrote the draft for UCC would have been better off with a few religious leaders on it as well.”