Gujarat has officially become the second state in India, following Uttarakhand, to pass the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill 2026. The legislation, cleared by the Gujarat Legislative Assembly on Tuesday, establishes a common legal framework for civil matters including marriage, divorce, inheritance, and maintenance, superseding various religion-based personal laws.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah hailed the move as a landmark step toward the principle of “equal laws for all citizens,” asserting that the country should run on constitutional uniformity rather than “appeasement.”
The new law introduces several sweeping changes to civil conduct in the state:
- Mandatory Registration: All marriages and divorces must now be officially registered with the state.
- Prohibition of Extra-Judicial Divorce: Traditional forms of divorce outside the court system are now prohibited, making legal procedures mandatory for all communities.
- Gender Parity in Inheritance: The Bill ensures equal inheritance rights for daughters and wives, regardless of religious affiliation.
- Live-in Relationships: Similar to the Uttarakhand model, the Bill mandates the registration of live-in relationships with local authorities to provide legal safeguards.
- Strict Monogamy: The law enforces monogamy across all communities and introduces penal provisions for fraud or concealment of identity in marriages.
The passage of the Bill fulfills a core ideological commitment of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Home Minister Shah congratulated Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and the state legislators, noting that BJP-ruled states are leading the charge in implementing a uniform legal code. While the government frames the move as a pursuit of social justice and women’s rights, it remains a subject of intense national debate regarding religious freedom and cultural diversity.