Uttarakhand Cabinet approves Uniform Civil Code rules

The Uttarakhand Cabinet approved the Uniform Civil Code rules during a meeting at the state secretariat on Monday, said Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.

He added that the code would be implemented in January itself.

A Uniform Civil Code is a common set of laws governing marriage, divorce, succession and adoption for all citizens. Currently, such personal affairs of different religious and tribal groups are based on community-specific laws, largely derived from religious scripture.

Once implemented, Uttarakhand will become the first Indian state to have a Uniform Civil Code after Independence. A common civil code has been in place in Goa since the Portuguese Civil Code was adopted in 1867.

The rules manual approved on Monday includes provisions for tatkal registration, door-to-door services in remote areas and a state-wide mock drill on January 21, The Indian Express reported quoting unidentified officials.

Online portals have been developed for both citizens and officials, offering Aadhaar-based verification and AI-driven translation services in 22 Indian languages, according to the newspaper. The portals will reportedly integrate data across more than 13 government departments, including those relating to birth and death registrations and various courts.

The Uttarakhand Cabinet approved the Uniform Civil Code draft report in a meeting chaired by Dhami on February 5, 2024.

Two days later, the Assembly passed the Bill by voice vote after a…

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