assam-becomes-first-northeast-state-to-pass-ucc-bill

The Assam Assembly on Wednesday passed “The Uniform Civil Code (UCC), Assam, Bill, 2026”, making Assam the first state in the Northeast and the third in the country after Uttarakhand and Gujarat to pass a Uniform Civil Code law.

 

The Bill seeks to establish a common legal framework governing marriage, divorce, succession and live-in relationships irrespective of religion. It also proposes a ban on polygamy and makes registration of marriages, divorces and live-in relationships compulsory.

 

The legislation was passed after a day-long discussion in the Assembly amid noisy scenes and strong opposition protests demanding that the Bill be referred to a select committee for wider consultation.

 

Speaker Ranjeet Kumar Dass rejected the Opposition’s demand and later asked Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to move the Bill for passage.

 

Opposition legislators then moved to the Well of the House and continued sloganeering while the Bill was taken up for voting.

 

The Speaker eventually put the Bill to voice vote amid chants of “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “Jai Shree Ram” from treasury bench members.

 

“I declare that the Bill is passed,” Dass announced after ruling alliance MLAs backed the legislation. The passage of the Bill was followed by loud applause from the ruling side.

Also read: Assam tables UCC Bill, seeks ban on polygamy

 

The proposed law aims to replace religion-based personal laws in matters related to marriage, divorce, inheritance and succession with a uniform legal structure.

 

The Bill, however, exempts Scheduled Tribes residing in Assam from its ambit, with the government citing the need to preserve the customs, traditions and social practices of indigenous communities.

 

Chief Minister Sarma had earlier said the framework broadly aligns with UCC models implemented or proposed in states such as Uttarakhand and Gujarat, while assuring protection of tribal customs in Assam.

 

The legislation also prescribes punitive provisions, including imprisonment of up to seven years for bigamy or polygamy and penalties for failure to register live-in relationships.

 

Nationally, Goa continues to follow a common civil law inherited from the Portuguese colonial period.

 

The passage of the Bill marks a major political and legislative milestone for the BJP-led NDA government in Assam, which had promised implementation of a Uniform Civil Code in its election manifesto.