By NE NOW NEWS
Guwahati: The Assam Legislative Assembly on Wednesday passed “The Uniform Civil Code (UCC), Assam, Bill, 2026”, making Assam the first state in the Northeast and the third in the country to enact a Uniform Civil Code law through its Assembly.
The Bill was passed during the first session of the 16th Assam Legislative Assembly.
The legislation seeks to introduce a common set of civil laws governing matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, succession and live-in relationships, replacing religion-based personal laws in these areas.
Key provisions of the Bill include a ban on polygamy, compulsory registration of marriages and divorces, and mandatory registration of live-in relationships.
The proposed legislation primarily deals with marriage, divorce, compulsory registration of marriages and regulation of live-in relationships.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had earlier said the proposed framework would broadly align with Uniform Civil Code models adopted or proposed in states such as Uttarakhand, Gujarat and Goa.
However, Sarma clarified that tribal communities in Assam would remain fully exempt from the ambit of the proposed law in view of the state’s social and ethnic diversity.
He said the government would continue to protect the customs, rituals and traditional practices of indigenous communities.
The passage of the Bill forms part of the BJP-led government’s commitment to implement the Uniform Civil Code, a long-standing promise included in its election manifesto.
Nationally, Uttarakhand has already implemented a UCC framework, while other BJP-ruled states, including Gujarat, have also initiated steps towards introducing similar legislation.