Rajasthan Approves Uniform Civil Code Bill, Mandating Live-In Registration
Rajasthan's government has approved a Uniform Civil Code Bill, set to regulate marriage, divorce, succession, and live-in relationships. The legislation requires mandatory registration of marriages and live-in relationships, aiming for uniform governance across the state.
Key takeaways
- Rajasthan's government has approved a Uniform Civil Code Bill to regulate marriage, divorce, succession, and live-in relationships.
- The Bill requires mandatory registration of both marriages and live-in relationships.
- It establishes equal inheritance rights for sons and daughters and outlines property distribution rules.
- Scheduled Tribes and certain other communities are excluded from the Bill's provisions.
The Bhajan Lal Sharma government in Rajasthan has approved a draft Bill for a Uniform Civil Code (UCC), making it the fifth state in India to do so. The proposed legislation aims to standardize laws concerning marriage, divorce, inheritance, and live-in relationships within the state.
Under the draft law, marriage registration will be mandatory within 60 days of solemnization. The Bill also introduces provisions for the written notice or registration of both the commencement and dissolution of live-in relationships, intended to safeguard the rights of individuals involved.
The UCC Bill specifies that while religious customs for marriage ceremonies will be respected, official registration is compulsory. Failure to register a marriage within the stipulated period can result in fines ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 25,000. The legislation also outlines a judicial process for resolving post-marriage disputes and empowers courts to declare marriages void under specific circumstances, such as forced consent or impotence.
Furthermore, the Bill grants equal inheritance rights to sons and daughters. It establishes a clear order of priority for property distribution in cases where a person dies without a will, with provisions for government acquisition if no legal heir is found. Unborn children are also recognized as having full legal inheritance rights.
The draft law, based on recommendations from an expert committee led by retired Supreme Court Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, will not apply to Scheduled Tribes or communities with constitutionally protected traditional rights.
Key Facts
- Rajasthan's government approved the draft Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill on Thursday.
- The Bill aims to regulate marriage, divorce, succession, and live-in relationships in the state.
- Mandatory marriage registration within 60 days is a provision of the draft law.
- Live-in relationships will require written notice or registration of their beginning and end.
- Fines for failure to register marriages range from Rs 10,000 to Rs 25,000.
- Sons and daughters are granted equal inheritance rights.
- The law excludes Scheduled Tribes and groups with constitutionally protected traditional rights.
- The draft was prepared based on recommendations from an expert committee headed by retired Supreme Court Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai.
Sources reviewed
Project Chintan independently synthesized and analyzed information cross-checked across the sources listed above.
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