Assam introduces Uniform Civil Code Bill to standardize family laws
Assam just rolled out the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill in its assembly, aiming to make marriage, divorce, and live-in relationship laws the same for everyone, except scheduled tribes.
The bill says all marriages, divorces, and live-in partnerships need to be officially registered and bans polygamy.
UCC mandates registration, sets marriage ages
The UCC sets minimum ages for marriage (21 for men, 18 for women), lets couples follow their own religious ceremonies but insists on registration, with fines up to ₹25,000 if you skip it.
Grounds for divorce include desertion and infidelity; property rights are equal among immediate family.
Live-in relationships must be registered too, and children from them are considered legitimate.
Some opposition leaders aren't happy about how quickly this was introduced, Congress MLA Jakir Hussain Sikdar says there was not enough consultation with people affected.
If passed on Tuesday, May 26, Assam will join Uttarakhand and Gujarat in making UCC official.