The Assam Assembly on Wednesday passed the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill, paving the way for a common legal framework governing marriage, divorce, succession and live-in relationships across religions, despite strong opposition and demands for the legislation to be referred to a select committee.
With the passage of the Bill, Assam became the third state, after Uttarakhand and Gujarat to enact a Uniform Civil Code law. Goa already follows a common civil law system inherited from the Portuguese colonial era.
After a day-long debate on "The Uniform Civil Code, Assam, 2026 Bill", Speaker Ranjeet Kumar Dass asked Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to move the legislation for passage.
The opposition urged the Speaker to send the Bill to a select committee for wider consultations, but the demand was rejected. Opposition members then trooped into the Well of the House and continued raising slogans while the Bill was taken up for voting.
Amid chants of “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “Jai Shree Ram” from the treasury benches, the Speaker conducted a voice vote and declared the Bill passed.
The House erupted in applause after the legislation was cleared.
The Bill, introduced on Monday, seeks to establish uniform laws on personal matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance and live-in relationships irrespective of religion. It also proposes a ban on polygamy and makes registration of live-in relationships mandatory.
However, the legislation exempts members of Scheduled Tribes residing in Assam from its ambit.
The proposed law also includes stringent penalties, including up to seven years’ imprisonment for bigamy or polygamy and up to three months in jail for failing to register a live-in relationship.
