Rajasthan Government Plans Uniform Civil Code (UCC) | 07 Feb 2024

Rajasthan cabinet minister Kanhiya Lal Choudhary informed the state assembly that the government would soon introduce the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill.

The proposed UCC Bill aims to establish uniform laws pertaining to marriage, divorce and inheritance of property. It seeks to curb practices like polygamy and divorce through religious means.
On the lines of Uttarakhand, the Rajasthan UCC Bill will exempt the tribal community, as they've raised serious objections, terming their customs and practices uncompromisable.

The Uniform Civil Code is mentioned in Article 44 of the Indian Constitution, which is part of the Directive Principles of State Policy.
These principles are not legally enforceable but are meant to guide the state in making policies.
- It has been supported by some as a way to promote national integration and gender justice, but opposed by others as a threat to religious freedom and diversity.
The only state in India that has a UCC is Goa, which retained its common family law known as the Goa Civil Code after it was liberated from Portuguese rule in 1961.
- Recently, Uttarakhand has also introduced the UCC bill in the state assembly.
The rest of India follows different personal laws based on their religious or community identity.