By NE NOW NEWS
Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday announced that the state government will introduce the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill in the Assembly on May 26.
Addressing the media after a cabinet meeting, Sarma said the cabinet had approved the draft of the proposed UCC and decided to table the Bill on the final day of the upcoming Assembly session.
He said the proposed legislation would primarily deal with marriage, divorce, compulsory registration of marriages and regulation of live-in relationships.
According to the Chief Minister, the proposed framework would be broadly aligned with the UCC models adopted or proposed in states such as Uttarakhand, Gujarat and Goa.
Sarma, however, clarified that tribal communities in Assam would remain completely exempt from the ambit of the proposed law. He said the government would protect the customs, rituals and traditional practices of indigenous communities in view of Assam’s social and ethnic diversity.
The move forms part of the BJP-led government’s broader commitment to implement the UCC, a long-standing promise included in its election manifesto.
The Uniform Civil Code refers to a common set of civil laws governing matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance and adoption, replacing religion-based personal laws.
While Uttarakhand has already implemented a UCC framework, other BJP-ruled states, including Gujarat, have also initiated steps in that direction.
Sarma has previously maintained that the government would pursue the proposal in accordance with constitutional provisions while safeguarding Assam’s identity and cultural interests.
The announcement comes amid a series of policy initiatives unveiled by the newly formed NDA government in Assam as it begins its second consecutive term in office.