President Droupadi Murmu has given assent to Gujarat’s Uniform Civil Code (UCC), paving the way for the legislation to come into force in the state soon.
With this, Gujarat becomes the second state in India—after Uttarakhand—to pass a Uniform Civil Code.
During the Assembly debate on the bill, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel said the measure would strengthen national unity and social harmony. He also cited the Supreme Court’s view that the bill would protect women’s rights and safety.
Under the law, registration of marriage and divorce will be mandatory, with a fine of Rs 10,000 for non-compliance. Live-in relationships, and their termination, must also be declared, and children born from such relationships will receive legal recognition.
The provisions will not apply to Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities, which have been granted an exemption. The bill, passed by the state Assembly, was sent for presidential assent and has now been approved after review.
