Dehradun: Two and a half years of rigorous consultations and preparations, and finally the Dhami government in Uttarakhand officially implemented the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) on Monday (January 27, 2025), becoming the first state in the country to bring uniformity in civil laws.
The Road To UCC Implementation
It was in 2022 that the state government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, constituted a high-level panel to prepare the draft of UCC based on expert consultation and public opinion. The committee comprising retired Delhi High Court Justice Pramod Kohli, former Chief Secretary of Uttarakhand Shatrughan Singh, Taxpayers Association representative Manu Gaur, and educationist Surekha Dangwal, was headed by retired Supreme Court Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai.
49 Lakh Suggestions For UCC Received Via SMS
The committee didn't leave any stone unturned in gathering public opinion. When people were contacted, they gave their suggestions through every possible means of communication. As many as 49 lakh suggestions were received via SMS alone, while 29 lakh suggestions poured in on WhatsApp. Apart from this, more than two lakh people voiced their opinion through direct communication, and 16000 citizens shared their thoughts on the official portal.
Not only this, those who could not meet the panel in person, sent 36000 suggestions regarding UCC through post. The panel reportedly received 24000 suggestions via email and 1.20 lakh suggestions by hand.
In these two years, UCC Expert Committee Chairperson Retired Justice Ranjana Desai and her team also engaged in consultations with 43 stakeholders across the state. Along with this, 72 more meetings were held to have an in-depth discussion on UCC's pros and cons, if any.
UCC Of Different Countries Studied
Just as the framers of Indian Constitution studied the Constitutions of 60 countries of the world, the expert panel also carefully analysed the Uniform Civil Code of many countries like UAE, Turkey, Indonesia, Nepal, France, Germany, Japan, Canada and Azerbaijan to further refine the draft before its implementation in Uttarakhand.
Ensuring transparency, the draft report was eventually made public on 12 July, 2024, for people to read and understand the principles before it is put into practice.
The UCC report has been made in four volumes and includes 392 articles. The report was prepared in four sections as follows:
- First Section: Expert Committee Report
- Second Section: Draft Code
- Third Section: Stakeholder Consultation Report
- Fourth Section: Detailed Guidelines Based on Draft Code
After the report was tabled before the state government, it received Cabinet approval and subsequently passed in the Uttarakhand Assembly on February 7, 2024. In the next phase, additional rules and regulations were prepared to ensure smooth implementation of the civil code. The final report can be accessed on the official UCC website, https://ucc.uk.gov.in/.
What CM Dhami Said
Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami today launched the UCC portal and a rule booklet in Dehradun. "January 27, 2025 is a historic day not only for our state but for the entire country as we are implementing Uniform Civil Code in the state."
#WATCH | Dehradun: On the implementation of UCC (Uniform Civil Code), Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami says, " ...if the credit for this goes to anyone, it goes to the people of devbhoomi uttarakhand, who blessed us and formed our government. today, by implementing… pic.twitter.com/VT34Ry0yXW
— ANI (@ANI) January 27, 2025
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Uttarakhand Becomes First State To Implement Uniform Civil Code: All You Need To Know About UCC
