1. The Legislative Assembly of Uttarakhand recently approved the Uniform Civil Code of Uttarakhand, 2024, covering aspects of Marriage, Divorce, Succession, and Live-In Relationships.
2. The Chief Minister, Pushkar Singh Dhami, presented the bill to the Assembly after receiving the final draft report from Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai.
3. Upon enactment, the Uniform Civil Code will become the governing law for most residents in the State of Uttarakhand.
4. The Code excludes its application to Scheduled Tribe members and those with customary rights protected under Part XXI of the Constitution.
5. Marriage conditions include compulsory registration, validity requirements, and age limits (21 for men, 18 for women).
6. Dissolution of marriages will only be permissible according to the provisions outlined in the Code, not through custom, tradition, or personal law.
7. Grounds for divorce include adultery, cruelty, desertion, conversion to another religion, and incapacity.
8. Live-in relationships within the state must be registered, and children born out of such relationships are considered legitimate.
9. Prohibited circumstances for live-in relationship registration include prohibited relationships, existing marriages, minority status, and consent obtained through force, coercion, or fraud.
10. The Code also addresses rules for succession, distribution of estate among heirs, and provisions for making and altering Wills.