Madhya Pradesh passes Uniform Civil Code amid Congress opposition
Madhya Pradesh just joined Uttarakhand, Gujarat, and Assam in passing the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) bill.
The new law aims to update personal rules around marriage, divorce, inheritance, and live-in relationships for everyone in the state except Scheduled Tribes and communities with traditional rights protected under Part XXI of the Constitution.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav pushed it through despite Congress raising objections.
UCC outlaws polygamy and nikah halala
The UCC makes polygamy and nikah halala illegal, and says all marriages must be officially registered within 60 days.
It also requires live-in couples to register their relationship within one month. Otherwise, there are strict penalties.
Children from live-in relationships get full inheritance rights, and an abandoned woman can seek maintenance.
Inheritance laws are now gender-neutral too: sons, daughters, widows, and widowers all get equal rights (though tribal communities are exempt).