Gujarat Assembly passes Gujarat Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill

Key facts

• The Gujarat Assembly passed the Gujarat Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill by a majority vote, making Gujarat the second state in India after Uttarakhand to adopt such legislation.
• The Bill seeks to regulate personal civil matters including marriage, divorce, succession, adoption, and live-in relationships for residents of the state.
• The legislation was drafted based on a report submitted by a committee headed by former Supreme Court (SC) judge Ranjana Desai.
• The Ranjana Desai committee studied the civil codes of France, Azerbaijan, Nepal, Germany, and Turkey and received over 20 lakh suggestions before drafting the Bill.
• The Bill excludes members of all tribal communities falling within specific constitutional provisions from its jurisdiction.
• Specific provisions include legal security for daughters in live-in relationships and the application of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for cases involving minors.
• The Bill clarifies that customary traditions, such as cousin marriages, will be considered legal if they are an accepted tradition within a community.
• Penal provisions have been included for individuals who enter into marriages by concealing their identity or through fraud.