UCC comes into force in Uttarakhand

New Delhi: Uttarakhand on Monday became the country's first state to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) after Independence.

At a function at his official residence in Dehradun, chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami launched the UCC portal and issued a notification marking adoption of the civil code. Several ministers and senior officials were present on the occasion. With the UCC becoming a reality in Uttarakhand, BJP also fulfilled the poll promise it had made to implement the UCC ahead of the 2022 assembly polls. The UCC portal, launched by CM Dhami, is created for mandatory online registration of marriages, divorce, and live-in relationships. "The UCC, creating equal laws for every citizen across all religions, comes fully into effect at this moment. The credit for it goes entirely to the people of the state," Dhami said at the function.

The UCC applies to all residents of Uttarakhand, except Scheduled Tribes and protected authority-empowered persons and communities. According to the state government, this act applies to the entire state of Uttarakhand and is also effective on the residents of the state living outside Uttarakhand. The UCC aims to simplify and standardise personal laws related to marriage, divorce, succession, and inheritance.