Uttarakhand Becomes First State To Implement Uniform Civil Code

Several BJP-ruled states, including Assam, have already expressed their desire to adopt Uttarakhand's UCC as a model.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami implement UCC on Monday.

Source : ABP

The Uttarakhand government implemented the Uniform Civil Code on Monday, making it the first state in independent India to put into effect such a law. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said the implementation of the law is a true tribute to the makers of the Constitution, BR Ambedkar, and all the respected members of the Constituent Assembly.

"If the credit for this goes to anyone, it goes to the people of Devbhoomi Uttarakhand, who blessed us and formed our government. Today, by implementing UCC in Uttarakhand, we are paying our true tribute to the makers of the Constitution, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar and all the respected members of the Constituent Assembly," Dhami said.

#WATCH | Dehradun: On the implementation of UCC (Uniform Civil Code), Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami says, "...If the credit for this goes to anyone, it goes to the people of Devbhoomi Uttarakhand, who blessed us and formed our government. Today, by implementing… pic.twitter.com/VT34Ry0yXW

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He announced the Uniform Civil Code has been fully implemented in Uttarakhand from this very moment and the constitutional and civil rights of all the citizens of the state of Uttarakhand have become "equal". "From this very moment, women of all religions have got equal rights," he said.

Several BJP-ruled states, including Assam, have already expressed their desire to adopt Uttarakhand's UCC as a model.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had earlier said all preparations have been completed to implement the UCC, including getting approval of the rules for the implementation of the Act and training of officials concerned.

How UCC Was Implemented In Uttarakhand

The government has gone into an overdrive to implement the UCC in the state within the month-long timeline set for it as it was among the key poll promises made by Dhami during the 2022 Assembly elections. 

An expert committee headed by retired Supreme Court Judge Ranjana Prakash Desai was constituted on May 27, 2022, to prepare the draft of the UCC. The panel headed by Desai submitted a comprehensive draft of the UCC prepared after a prolonged dialogue with a cross-section of people to the state government on February 2, 2024.

A legislation on it was passed a few days later by the state Assembly on February 7. It was given president's assent nearly a month later paving the way for its implementation. An expert committee headed by former chief secretary Shatrughan Singh, who was also a part of the drafting committee to frame the rules and regulations for the implementation of the Act, submitted its report to the state government late last year.

The state cabinet gave its approval to the report recently and authorised the chief minister to decide a date for its implementation.