Uttarakhand to implement Uniform Civil Code from January 2025; ‘homework’ complete, says CM Pushkar Singh Dhami

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami announced on Wednesday that the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) will be implemented in the state from January 2025. With this move, Uttarakhand will become the first state in India to implement the Uniform Civil Code after independence.

Speaking during a meeting of the Uttarakhand Investment and Infrastructure Development Board (UIIDB) in Dehradun, CM Dhami confirmed that the Uttarakhand government had completed the necessary ‘homework,’ reported PTI. Dhami further stated that the rules for the UCC have been finalised.

UCC’s introduction in Uttarakhand comes after Pushkar Singh Dhami had promised the people during the 2022 assembly elections that if the BJP retained power, the UCC would be introduced in the state.

‘Making Uttarakhand just and equitable’

Pushkar Singh 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,” Dhami wrote on X.

As per PTI, Pushkar Singh Dhami has also instructed officials to provide adequate training and resources for the implementation of the UCC provisions. Additionally, a portal and mobile app have been created to facilitate online registration and appeals for the convenience of the public.

Uttarakhand government drafted UCC in 2022

Following the formation of the new government in March 2022, the cabinet decided to form an expert committee to draft the UCC. A five-member expert committee, chaired by retired judge Ranjana Prakash Desai, was set up.

Based on the committee’s report, the Uniform Civil Code, Uttarakhand, 2024 Bill was passed in the state assembly on February 7, 2024. The Act received presidential assent on March 12, 2024.