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Uttarakhand may bring in UCC by November 9; panel submits draft to CM

Committee drawing up rules for implementation of the Uniform Civil Code submitted its report to the Uttarakhand government

Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Dhami said that officials would be given training for effective implementation of the UCC. (Express)

The Uniform Civil Code in Uttarakhand could be implemented as early as November 9, sources said, as the committee formed to draw up rules for the implementation of the UCC submitted its report to the state government on Friday.

The draft rules submitted to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami by the Rules and Implementation Committee detail procedures for various matters, including the registration of marriages, divorces, live-in relationships, births and deaths, as well as rules of succession.

The Uttarakhand Assembly had passed the UCC Bill in February, and it became a law after it got the President’s approval in March. This made Uttarakhand the first state in the country to pass such legislation.

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With the report on the rules for implementation of the UCC now submitted, the state government is expected to soon make a decision on the date for the implementation. Sources said the government could pick November 9, when the state marks its 24th Foundation Day.

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CM Dhami said Friday that officials would be given training for effective implementation of the UCC. “Soon, in the Cabinet meeting, a date will be decided for the effective implementation of this (UCC) Act in the state. For this, officers and employees will also be given training… A portal and mobile app has also been prepared for UCC, so that all the facilities of registration, appeal, etc. can be made available to the general public through online medium,” said Dhami.

The CM said the UCC is designed to ensure equal justice in Uttarakhand, with a focus on women’s empowerment and security.

ALSO READ | Before Uttarakhand brought Uniform Civil Code, panel worked to find balance between gender equality and customs

The UCC Rules and Implementation Committee, headed by retired IAS officer Shatrughan Singh, held its final meeting earlier this month, recommending the introduction of digital documentation facilities for processes such as marriage and live-in relationship registrations, the drawing up of wills, and registry modifications. The committee and its sub-committees have conducted more than 130 meetings since its inception in February.

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On Friday, Shatrughan Singh and other members of the committee, including social worker Manu Gaur, Doon University vice chancellor Surekha Dangwal, Additional Director General of Police Amit Sinha, and Resident Commissioner Ajay Mishra, handed over their report to Dhami.

The report, more than 500 pages long, includes the rules for implementation of the UCC as well as a detailed account of the rule-making process, which involved legal experts and law interns.

With the ruling BJP aiming to use Uttarakhand’s UCC as a model for other states, the rules template has been designed with that goal in mind.

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