Madhya Pradesh Cabinet approves UCC draft bill for presentation in State Assembly

The Madhya Pradesh Cabinet on Sunday (July 19, 2026) approved the draft bill for a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the State at a special meeting held in Jagdishpur near Bhopal.

The Bill, prepared by a six-member committee headed by retired Supreme Court Judge Ranjana Prakash Desai, submitted its report to the Chief Minister recently, recommending that Scheduled Tribes (adivasis) be excluded from the purview of the UCC. It is now scheduled to be tabled in the Legislative Assembly in the monsoon session starting on Monday (July 20, 2026).

The draft bill provides special exemptions to the tribal communities of the State, such as Bhil, Gond, Korku, Baiga, Bhariya and Sahariya, to protect their “unique cultural heritage and traditional lifestyle”.

The bill seeks to completely prohibit polygamy and multiple marriages across all communities, while also declaring practices like nikaha halala as illegal and punishable offences.

As per the draft bill, it will be mandatory to register marriages and divorces across all communities through government portals to ensure marital rights, alimony and various legal protections for women.

“Respecting constitutional safeguards, this law will not apply to Scheduled Tribes (such as Bhil, Gond, Korku, Baiga, Sahariya, and Bharia) covered under Articles 342 and 366 (Clause 25) of the Constitution. Furthermore, communities whose traditional rights are protected under Part XXI of the Constitution have also been specifically exempted from this Code,” a government official said.

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The bill also proposes to make it mandatory for couples in a live-in relationship to submit an affidavit to the local registrar within a month of starting to live together.

It also says that in case any partner is under 21 years of age, information regarding the commencement and termination of the live-in relationship will be sent to their parents or guardians, and that the registrar will also share the record with the local police.

“Children born out of a live-in relationship will be considered legitimate and entitled to full inheritance rights. If the male partner abandons the woman, she can claim maintenance—just like a legal wife—through a competent court,” the official said.