Dehradun: The Uniform Civil Code (UCC) draft received approval from the Uttarakhand Cabinet during a meeting led by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami at his official residence on Sunday.

As the special session of the Uttarakhand Assembly unfolds on Monday, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami’s government is poised to present the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill on February 6. This four-day session, starting at 11 am in Vidhan Bhavan, Dehradun, has been exclusively convened to facilitate the enactment of UCC legislation, following the endorsement received from the state cabinet.

In anticipation of the special session, security measures have been intensified around the Uttarakhand Assembly premises and sensitive areas within the city. Ajai Singh, Senior Superintendent of Police, Dehradun, stated, “Uttarakhand Assembly’s special session has been called. As in the past, we have placed barricades at entry points around the Assembly to stop any protests… More than 200 constables and 100 inspectors have been placed in the periphery of the Assembly.”

समान नागरिक संहिता लागू करने की दिशा में आगे बढ़ने वाला देश का अग्रणी राज्य है उत्तराखण्ड..#UCCInUttarakhand pic.twitter.com/wZwkKtos8K

— Pushkar Singh Dhami (@pushkardhami) February 4, 2024

The Cabinet greenlit the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) draft during a meeting at the Chief Minister’s residence on Sunday. A committee assigned to formulate the UCC draft submitted its report to the Chief Minister on Friday, concluding an extensive consultation process.

“In the cabinet meeting on Sunday, a unanimous decision was reached to present a bill on the Uniform Civil Code during the upcoming Assembly session. We are committed to introducing it in the Assembly and progressing towards its enactment into law,” Chief Minister Dhami informed ANI.

The comprehensive 800-page report, submitted by the five-member expert committee under the leadership of retired Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai, outlines recommendations such as exempting tribal communities, prioritizing women’s equality, prohibiting practices like polygamy, and establishing a uniform marriage age across religions.

The Uniform Civil Code (UCC) aims to establish uniform civil laws for all communities in the state, as highlighted in the report. It emphasizes crucial aspects such as categorizing halal, iddat, and triple talaq as punishable offenses.

Chief Minister Dhami shed light on the thorough consultation process, stating, “The committee initiated the work by seeking suggestions from the village referred to by the PM as the first village, along with 43 other locations. A total of 2,33,000 people provided suggestions, including 10 per cent of the families in Uttarakhand.”

Sources indicate that once approved by the Uttarakhand Assembly, the Bill could potentially serve as a “model” for other states, with plans for consideration in assemblies of states such as Gujarat and Assam.