GANDHINAGAR: President Droupadi Murmu has given assent to the Gujarat Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill, 2026, paving the way for Gujarat to become the second state after Uttarakhand to implement a codified common set of personal laws. The state government will now frame and notify the rules required for enforcing the legislation.Sources in government said departments concerned will begin drafting detailed rules under the act following the presidential approval. The legislation provides a common legal framework for matters related to marriage, divorce, succession, and live-in relationships, irrespective of religion. However, it will not apply to members of Scheduled Tribes, whose customary rights are protected under the Constitution.The Gujarat assembly passed the bill on March 24 after a debate lasting around seven hours. The legislation was introduced a week after a committee headed by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Desai submitted its final report on implementing a UCC in the state.Under the Act, registration of marriages and divorces will be mandatory, with violations attracting penalties of up to Rs 10,000. The Gujarat Registration of Marriages Act, 2006, will be repealed once the new law comes into force.
UCC policy details
The legislation also regulates live-in relationships by making their registration compulsory and requiring formal notification of their termination. Children born from such relationships will be recognised as legitimate, while women abandoned by live-in partners will be entitled to seek maintenance.The act prohibits polygamy and prescribes imprisonment of up to seven years for marriages obtained through force, coercion or deceit. Any divorce not granted through a court decree can attract a jail term of up to three years. The law also allows remarriage after divorce without conditions, removing the requirement of practices such as halala for remarriage.While introducing the bill, the state government had said it was drafted after extensive consultations with various sections of society. The Justice Desai committee was constituted in Feb 2025 to examine the need for a UCC and recommend the framework for the proposed law.Rights activist Shamshad Pathan, who made representations before the UCC panel, argued that the legislation conflicts with constitutional provisions, particularly Articles 25 to 30. He said uniformity could be achieved only through a code applicable uniformly across the country and not through separate state laws.
