Ready for Change: Uniform Civil Code to Be Enforced in This State by January 2025

Dehradun (The Uttam Hindu): Uttarakhand is all set to become the first state in the country to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC). Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday said that the UCC will be implemented in the state from January 2025 and added that all preparations have been completed in this regard.

He said that the Uttarakhand Investment and Infrastructure Development Board (UIIDB), in its meeting on Wednesday adopted a resolution towards the UCC implementation. Dhami also took to X to inform about the final preparations for its roll-out. "Taking a historic step towards making Uttarakhand just and equitable, we have decided to implement the Uniform Civil Code from January 2025. Today, in the UIIDB meeting, necessary instructions were given to the officials on this subject,” he wrote on X.

After the Dhami-led BJP government returned to power in the state in March 2022, the cabinet in its first meeting decided to constitute an expert committee to implement UCC in the state. A five-member expert committee was formed under the chairmanship of retired judge Ranjana Prakash Desai. Based on the report of the committee, the UCC Bill 2024 was passed by the State Legislative Assembly on February 7, 2024.

After getting the assent of the President on the bill, its notification was issued on March 12, 2024. In this sequence, the rules of the Uniform Civil Code, Uttarakhand 2024 Act have also been prepared. Pushkar Dhami said that the state government is fully prepared to implement the UCC from January. He instructed officials that along with providing proper training to the personnel, all kinds of basic facilities should be provided to implement the provisions of the Code.

Also, by keeping more and more services online, the convenience of the public should be taken care of. A portal and mobile app has also been launched for the convenience of the public. All kinds of facilities like registration, appeal and more will be available through online medium. "The UCC in Uttarakhand will give a new direction to society, following the basic spirit of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas and Sabka Vishwas. This law will open new doors for empowerment, especially of women and children of Devbhoomi,” said CM Dhami.