Assam tables UCC bill, proposes polygamy ban, mandatory live-in registration

The Assam government on Monday (May 25) tabled a bill on the Uniform Civil Code in the Assembly that seeks to prohibit polygamy and make registration of live-in relationships compulsory.

The bill titled 'The Uniform Civil Code, Assam, 2026 Bill' was tabled in the Assembly by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Atul Bora on behalf of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

Lashing out against the BJP government over the bill, opposition parties, including Congress, Raijor Dal and Trinamool Congress, opposed the move and demanded wider consultation with all the stakeholders before its introduction.

Push for debate

Sarma said the tabling of a Bill on the Uniform Civil Code in the state assembly will lead to an on-record discussion on the need for such a law.

He also maintained that it would help realise the path envisaged by the nation's founding fathers.

Also Read: A brief history of uniform civil code, and why the idea wouldn't go away

"The introduction of the Uniform Civil Code 2026 Bill in the Assam Vidhan Sabha paves the way for an on-record discussion on why #UCCAssam is the need of the hour and how it will help realise the path laid down by our founding fathers," Sarma said in a post on X.

Article 44 of the Constitution, which is part of the Directive Principles of State Policy, provides for the idea of a Uniform Civil Code. However, matters relating to marriage, divorce, inheritance and succession have continued to remain under religion-based personal laws since Independence.

States move on UCC

In February 2024, Uttarakhand became the first state in the country to pass a law on the Uniform Civil Code. Another BJP-ruled state, Gujarat, followed in March with similar legislation, while BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh set up a committee for drafting the proposed code.

Also Read: No choice, no voice: Indian Muslims driven to both accept UCC and lose franchise

Goa already operates under a common civil framework through the Goa Civil Code, which has its roots in the Portuguese Civil Code of 1867 and requires marriages to be registered before civil authorities.

Long-standing BJP agenda

The introduction of a Uniform Civil Code at the national level continues to be one of the BJP's major ideological commitments that remains pending. Since assuming power at the Centre in 2014, the party has achieved two of its other key goals, namely the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and the abrogation of Article 370 that had accorded special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

(With agency inputs)