Assam govt tables Uniform Civil Code Bill in assembly, seeks to govern laws on marriage, divorce, succession
In a significant development, the Assam government on Monday tabled a Bill on the Uniform Civil Code, seeking to ban polygamy and make registration of live-in relationships compulsory. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Atul Bora tabled ‘The Uniform Civil Code, Assam, 2026 Bill’ in the assembly on behalf of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. According to UCC Bill introduced in Assam Assembly, it seeks to govern laws on marriage, divorce, succession, live-in relationship.
Bill seeks to govern laws on marriage, divorce
“The Bill aims to consolidate and simplify laws governing marriage, divorce, succession, and live-in relationships,” Sarma said in the ‘Statement of Object and Reasons’ in the Bill. For marriage, the Bill sets 21 years and 18 years as minimum ages for men and women respectively, and prohibits polygamy, he added.
“For the first time, Bill provides a legal framework for live-in relationships. By requiring registration, the law ensures that the rights of partners — and any children born from such unions — are formally recognised and protected,” the CM said in the Bill. The Bill, however, said that it will not be applicable to any of the Scheduled Tribes residing in Assam.
Earlier CM Sarma had announced to introduce UCC Bill
Earlier on May 13, after conducting the first cabinet meeting of the second term of CM Sarma at the No. 1 State Guest House, Koinadhara in Guwahati, it was announced that the state government will be introducing the legislation during the ongoing session of the Legislative Assembly, being conducted from May 21 to 26.
Announcing the cabinet meeting decisions, CM Sarma had said that – “The State Cabinet approved the draft Bill on the Uniform Civil Code, which will be introduced on the final day of the Assam Legislative Assembly session.
“Scheduled Tribes (Hills), and Scheduled Tribes (Plain) will remain outside the purview of the UCC, with ‘Traditional religious customs, practices and rituals’ also be exempted.”
UCC will primarily cover four subjects
The Uniform Civil Code will primarily cover the following four subjects – Minimum age of marriage, Prohibition of polygamy, Equal rights for daughters in the property of parents, Matters relating to live-in relationships,” the Chief Minister had said.
The Assam Cabinet approved the convening of the first session of the Assam Legislative Assembly under the present government on May 21, 22, 25 and 26. If the bill is passed, Assam will become the third state in the country to pass a UCC bill, following the example of Uttarakhand, and Gujarat. Uttarakhand introduced the UCC bill in 2024, becoming the first state in India to bring in such a law, in line with the Directive Principles of State Policy in the Constitution.
The State shall endeavour to secure for the citizens a uniform civil code throughout the territory of India, according to Article 44 of Constitution. Earlier in January, while hailing a year of UCC implementation in the state, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that the law has empowered women, asserting that their safety has increased.
“Whatever doubts, questions, and apprehensions people had regarding the UCC have all been cleared. The rumours have also ended, and in more than five lakh cases, not a single case of violation of privacy has been found. After the implementation of the UCC, women, in particular, have been empowered and their safety has increased, as has the safety of others,” CM Dhami said.
