Govt machinery in Uttarakhand goes into overdrive

DEHRADUN: The entire government machinery in Uttarakhand has gone into an overdrive to implement India’s first Uniform Civil Code in the state within the month-long timeline set for the purpose by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.

“We are celebrating 2025 as the silver jubilee year of statehood to Uttarakhand. It is going to be a year of big achievements. We have kept our promise of bringing a UCC. We will implement it in January,” Dhami had said ushering in the new year on January 1. Though no dates have been given yet, there is speculation that it might be implemented on Republic Day.

An expert committee headed by former chief secretary Shatrughna Singh to frame the rules for the implementation of UCC had submitted its final report to the state government in October, 2024 and the home department has been entrusted with the task of implementing it.

Orientation sessions are being held to educate the staff of departments concerned about the provisions of the law and how to execute them on the ground. Staff at the district, block and tehsil levels are being trained about how to go about its implementation, Doon University Vice Chancellor Surekha Dangwal who was part of the panel that drafted the UCC as well as the one which framed the rules for its implementation said.

It was a huge exercise which is in its final stages, she said.

A portal and app have been created to simplify the registration of marriages and live-in relationships under Uttarakhand’s Uniform Civil Code (UCC), which makes registration mandatory. The UCC aims for uniform rules on marriage, divorce, and inheritance, with provisions for gender parity and child legitimacy. It also regulates live-in relationships, banning polygamy. The UCC, passed in February 2024, is set for implementation in January 2025, with other BJP states considering adoption.