Uttarakhand is all set to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) on the occasion of Republic Day making it the first State in the country. Sources said a cabinet meeting led by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday decided to start the process of enforcement of the UCC on January 26 as the cabinet also approved the rules under UCC as how to move ahead in the historic step.
In fact last month the State government had announced that UCC would be implemented in January and with municipal elections scheduled for January 23 the results of which would be declared on January 25, sources said the government is prepared to announce UCC implementation on Republic Day. “The mandatory communiqué in this regard will be given the Union Home Ministry sooner,†said a senior government source.
Set to become the first Indian state to roll out the UCC, its rules manual includes provisions for tatkal registration, door-to-door services in remote areas and a state-wide mock drill on Tuesday.
The list of services provided on the portal includes registration of marriage, divorce, and live-in registrations, termination of live-in relationships, intestate succession and declaration of legal heirs, testamentary successions, appeal in cases where application is rejected, access to information, and complaint registration.
After the meeting Dhami informed that preparations for implementing the UCC in the state are almost complete. “The training process for the UCC implementation is almost complete. During the cabinet meeting, we discussed implementing it as soon as possible. After reviewing everything, we will soon announce its implementation date,†Dhami stated.
Responding to a question, the chief minister said that its implementation will bring a big change in the state. He added that his party had promised to bring UCC before the 2022 elections, and the process was initiated in the first cabinet meeting after assuming power. “We constituted an expert committee to draft the UCC, following which a bill was passed in the state assembly,†he said.
The Governor and subsequently the President have given their assent to the bill, making it an Act. As Uttarakhand is set to become the first state in independent India to implement uniform laws for all its citizens, Dhami dismissed the Congress’s allegations that UCC represents divisive politics, calling them baseless. “This is not any divisive politics. UCC has a uniform system and uniform law for all,†CM said.
According to officials, online portals have been developed for citizens and officials, featuring Aadhaar-based verification, AI-based translation services in 22 Indian languages, and data integration across more than 13 departments/services (e.g., birth-death registrations, district/high courts, etc.).
“The government has set separate fees for expedited registration under the Tatkal service. The registration and termination process for live-in relationships has also been simplified. Termination applications by one partner will require confirmation from the other partner. In testamentary succession, wills can be uploaded on the portal for online registration, modification, revalidation, or revival,†a statement from the state government read.
