Assam introduces Uniform Civil Code bill in Assembly

The Assam government on Monday introduced a bill on the Uniform Civil Code in the Assembly.

The Uniform Civil Code 2026 bill, tabled by state Parliamentary Affairs Minister Atul Bora, seeks to ban polygamy and make registration of live-in relationships compulsory.

The Uniform Civil Code refers to a common set of laws governing marriage, divorce, succession and adoption for all citizens. Currently, such personal affairs of different religions are based on community-specific laws, largely derived from religious scripture.

The bill in Assam is proposed to be taken up for discussion on Wednesday, reported ANI.

It was introduced nearly two weeks after the proposed legislation was cleared by the state Cabinet on May 13. At the time, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said that the tribal population in the state would be kept outside the purview of the Uniform Civil Code bill.

“We have also kept all rituals, traditions and customs practised by the people of Assam outside the scope of the Uniform Civil Code,” the Bharatiya Janata Party leader had said, adding that the code will deal with succession, marriage, live-in relationships, and compulsory registration of marriage and divorce.

On Monday, Sarma said that the introduction of the Uniform Civil Code bill in the Assam Assembly “paves the way for an on record discussion on why UCC Assam...

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