With raging debate across the country over Uniform Civil Code following PM Modi's recent mention of the matter in MP, a draft of Uttarakhand's own UCC with strong recommendations on "live-ins and raising marriageable age of women" has been completed by a five-member panel constituted by the state government last year.
"Our emphasis is to ensure gender equality, keeping women, children and disabled persons in focus," said retired SC judge, Justice Ranjana Desai, the committee head who announced the draft's completion in New Delhi.
Tried to bring all on equal footing: U'khand UCC draft panel chief
Justice Ranjana Desai, head of the committee, who announced Uttarakhand's draft UCC, said Friday: "The report of our committee along with the draft code would soon be printed and submitted to the state government. The committee has tried to understand finer nuances of various practices that prevail in different parts of Uttarakhand."
Desai added that the code has been drafted "taking into account all shades of opinions and looking into various statutes and uncodified laws, including the statutory framework in select countries".
"We've tried to bring everyone on an equal footing with elimination of arbitrariness and discrimination," she said, adding that the panel went through the practices followed in other nations on family laws and related reports of the law commission. "The draft, if implemented, will strengthen the secular fabric of our country."
Media also spoke to a member of the committee to get a sense of what the draft entails.
Among the points mentioned in the draft, as per sources, are those related to raising the marriageable age for women and live-in relationships. The committee is also believed to have touched upon the issue of inheritance laws as well as the practice of polygamy and polyandry (which is prevalent in select pockets in the hills).
In the case of the proposal to increase the marriageable age of women, a source, privy to the details, said the objective is "to bring uniformity across religions and faiths to ensure greater women empowerment".
The committee was constituted in May 2022, soon after Pushkar Singh Dhami took over as chief minister. Dhami had made implementation of UCC one of his poll promises.
Reacting to Friday's development, Dhami said, "As promised, the panel formed to prepare the UCC draft has completed its work. The UCC will be implemented in Uttarakhand soon." Once implemented, Uttarakhand will be the first state post-independence to have such a code.
The panel held over 60 meetings in its year-long tenure and interacted with representatives of political parties, state statutory commissions and leaders of religious bodies. The panel received 2.3 lakh written submissions and its sub-committee interacted with over 20,000 people.
Besides Justice Desai, the panel includes retired HC judge Permod Kohli, social activist Manu Gaur, Uttarakhand's ex-chief secretary Shatrughan Singh and Doon University vice-chancellor Surekha Dangwal.
Drafting of Uniform Civil Code for Uttarakhand completed, to be submitted to state govt
(With inputs from agencies)