Uttarakhand to Implement UCC from January 2025
On December 18, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami announced that the state will implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) from January 2025. All preparations for its implementation have been completed. Uttarakhand will thus become the first state to adopt UCC since India’s independence.
During a meeting of the ‘Uttarakhand Investment and Infrastructure Development Board’ (UIIDB) at the state secretariat, CM Dhami stated that the state government had completed all homework as per its commitment to implement UCC.
CM Dhami mentioned that after the new government formed in March 2022, the first Cabinet meeting decided to form a special committee to implement UCC in the state. In this regard, a five-member expert committee was formed under the chairmanship of retired judge Ranjana Prakash Desai. Based on the committee's report, the UCC Bill 2024 was passed in the state legislature on February 7, 2024.
After receiving the President's assent, the notification was issued on March 12, 2024. CM Dhami further stated that the rules of the ‘Uttarakhand Uniform Civil Code 2024 Act’ have also been prepared. Uttarakhand is now fully ready to implement this code from January.
The Chief Minister has instructed officials to ensure proper training for personnel and to secure all necessary infrastructure for the implementation of the provisions of the UCC. Moreover, he emphasized the need to make more services available online for the convenience of the public.
For public accessibility, a portal and mobile app have also been developed for the implementation of the UCC. These platforms will provide online services such as registration and appeals. CM Dhami assured that the state’s UCC law will guide society in a new direction based on the principles of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas.” This law will especially open new doors for the empowerment of women and children in the Devbhumi region.
