Assam UCC Bill tabled; seeks ban on polygamy, Pg10

Key Highlights:

• The Assam government introduced ‘The Uniform Civil Code, Assam, 2026 Bill’ in the State Assembly on Monday.
• The bill aims to establish a common law for all residents regarding marriage, divorce, succession, and live-in relationships.
• The proposed law outlaws bigamy and polygamy, prescribing imprisonment of up to seven years.
• The Assam UCC Bill excludes Scheduled Tribes from its jurisdiction.
• The bill mandates monogamy and sets the legal age for marriage at 21 years for grooms and 18 years for brides.
• Registration of marriages, divorces, and live-in relationships will be compulsory.

Detailed Insights:

• The Assam UCC Bill seeks to replace religion-based personal laws to ensure equality and gender justice.
• The bill codifies uniform grounds for divorce, including cruelty, desertion, or mutual consent, and prioritizes the mother's custody for children under five.
• It establishes a uniform order of preference for intestate inheritance among Class-1 heirs, including the spouse, children, and parents.
• Registration of live-in relationships is mandatory within a month, with failure resulting in imprisonment of up to three months or a fine of up to ₹10,000.
• The bill grants legal standing to deserted live-in partners to claim financial maintenance and legitimizes children born out of such relationships.
• The Assam Compulsory Registration of Muslim Marriages and Divorces Act, 2024, will be repealed to streamline the state's statutory architecture.
• Uttarakhand and Gujarat have previously passed similar laws.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Uniform Civil Code (UCC): A set of laws governing personal matters equally for all citizens, irrespective of religion.
• Polygamy: The practice of having more than one spouse at the same time.
• Intestate Succession: The distribution of property when a person dies without a will.
• Live-in Relationship: A cohabitation arrangement where individuals live together without being married.