Assam Government Tables UCC Bill in Assembly

Assam parliamentary affairs minister Atul Bora introduced the Bill in the 126-member Assembly on behalf of chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. The Bill is scheduled for discussion on May 27.

The opposition parties, including Congress, Raijor Dal and Trinamool Congress, opposed the move and demanded wider consultation with all the stakeholders before its introduction.

According to the ‘Statement of Object and Reasons’ attached to the Bill, the proposed law aims to simplify and bring together rules related to marriage, divorce, succession and live-in relationships.

“The Bill aims to consolidate and simplify laws governing marriage, divorce, succession, and live-in relationships,” the 'Statement of Object and Reasons' of the Bill said.

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the Bill sets the minimum marriage age at 21 years for men and 18 years for women, and also bans polygamy.

The Bill also introduces a legal framework for live-in relationships. It says registration will help ensure that the rights of partners, as well as children born from such relationships, are formally recognised and protected.

The chief minister has clarified that scheduled Tribes (Hills), and Scheduled Tribes (Plain) will remain outside the purview of the UCC, with 'Traditional religious customs, practices and rituals' also be exempted.

Earlier the State Cabinet had approved the draft Bill on the Uniform Civil Code, which was introduced in the Assam Assembly on Monday.

If passed, Assam will become the third state in the country to pass a UCC law after Uttarakhand and Gujarat. Uttarakhand became the first state to introduce a UCC law in 2024, while Gujarat passed its Bill in March this year.