Advertisement
Dehradun : The Uttarakhand government has called for a legislative assembly session starting February 5 to deliberate on the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the state. While the government’s statement confirmed the session on Monday, it did not provide additional details.
The five-member committee, led by Justice (retired) Ranjana Prakash Desai, tasked with presenting a report on the UCC, is expected to submit its findings on February 2. The UCC aims to establish a common set of laws encompassing diverse faiths and tribes, governing matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, and maintenance.
The implementation of the UCC has been a longstanding commitment in the BJP’s manifesto, aligning with other key promises such as the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and the abrogation of Article 370. The Supreme Court’s ruling in January 2023 affirmed states’ authority to form committees to assess the feasibility of UCC implementation.
Before the state assembly elections in February 2022, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami announced that the UCC’s implementation would be the BJP-led government’s first decision if voted to power. In his Republic Day message, Dhami stated that a legislative assembly session would be called promptly upon receiving the committee’s draft to enact the UCC across Uttarakhand.
After assuming power, the Uttarakhand government formed a five-member committee in May 2022, headed by Justice (retired) Desai, to prepare the draft for UCC implementation in the state. Chief Minister Dhami emphasized that the move aimed to provide legal uniformity to all religious communities and preserve the cultural identity of Uttarakhand, as promised in the election manifesto.
Uttarakhand, with a 13.9% Muslim population, primarily concentrated in the Terai region according to the 2011 census, reflects the state’s diverse demographic landscape.
