Guwahati, May 13: The Assam cabinet on Wednesday approved the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the state, but the tribal population will be kept outside its purview, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
The draft of the UCC Bill will be laid before the assembly on May 26, the chief minister said at a press conference here after chairing the first cabinet meeting of his second term as the head of the government.
The UCC will primarily cover the four subjects — minimum age of marriage, prohibition of polygamy, equal rights for daughters in parents’ property and matters relating to live-in relationships.
“This is a major decision taken in the first cabinet meeting and aligns with the commitment we made during the elections,” the CM said.
Sarma said Uttarakhand, Goa and Gujarat have already implemented the UCC, but his government has customised it for the requirements of Assam.
”We have completely exempted the tribal population from the purview of UCC. All rituals, traditions and customs practised by the people of Assam outside the scope of UCC,” he said.
The UCC will deal with succession, marriage, live-in relationships and compulsory registration of marriage and divorce, he added.
It will create a uniform set of laws for all residents — excluding Scheduled Tribes and Adivasi communities — and will replace various religion-based personal laws with a common legal framework to ensure equality and transparency, define core legal terms and recognise various customs and modern family structures, Sarma said. (PTI)
