Gujarat became the second state in the country after Uttarakhand to pass a Uniform Civil Code. The Gujarat Legislative Assembly passed the Gujarat Uniform Civil Code Bill, 2026 with a majority late on Tuesday night, after discussions stretching through the session.
The Bill was tabled in the Assembly on Tuesday by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, a week after a state-appointed panel submitted its final report on implementation of the UCC. The legislation, formally titled the "Gujarat Uniform Civil Code, 2026", will extend to the entire state and also apply to residents of Gujarat living outside its territorial limits. The provisions will not apply to members of Scheduled Tribes and certain groups whose customary rights are protected under the Constitution.
According to the Statement of Objects and Reasons, the Bill sought to establish a uniform legal framework governing personal laws, covering marriage, divorce, succession and live-in relationships.
What the law says
Marriage registration within 60 days is mandatory; failure may attract a fine of up to Rs 10,000.
Marriages conducted through coercion, intimidation or fraud can lead to imprisonment of up to seven years. The same penalty applies in cases of bigamy. A marriage will be considered valid under the Code only if neither party has a living spouse at the time of marriage. Divorces must be granted and registered through a court. Out-of-court divorces will be deemed invalid. Violations may lead to imprisonment of up to three years. Women are granted the unconditional right to remarry.
Equal inheritance
Sons and daughters are granted equal inheritance rights under the UCC. Uniform provisions for maintenance across all religions enhance legal protection for women. CM Patel said the Bill was to protect rights of women and for uniformity. No caste would be targeted and all would have the same rights.
Deputy CM Harsh Sanghavi said the Bill was for gender justice, national integration, legal simplification and constitutional morality. It would protect rights of women and all sections of society would have the same set of rules.
'UCC Bill rushed for electoral gain'
The Congress has alleged that the BJP brought the UCC Bill in the Assembly to take leverage in upcoming local body elections. The high-level committee set up for UCC submitted its report on March 17. The government brought the Bill hastily on March 25, the Congress alleged. GPCC president and MLA Amit Chavda, speaking during Assembly discussions on Tuesday, said a copy of the Bill should be given to each MLA before passage. "A copy of the bill should be given to each of the 182 MLAs so that they can study and give their valuable inputs. The report of the committee should be in the public domain for people to see," he said. Chavda said the committee had received more than a thousand representations and questioned how the bill could be passed without studying them. "The committee received over 1,000 representations from different people. Without studying them, how can the bill be passed?" he asked.
Referring to the provision excluding tribals, Chavda said the party which talked about uniformity was itself creating a divide in society.