Assam’s Cabinet approves a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) for the state in its first meeting after the recent elections, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma says. Sarma says the decision follows the government’s election commitment and that the proposed UCC is “customised” for Assam’s needs. According to Sarma, the policy is designed to preserve religious customs and traditions while also addressing areas such as succession, marriage, live-in relationships, and compulsory registration of marriage and divorce.
Both outlets report that the UCC does not apply to the state’s tribal communities. Sarma says the tribal population is completely exempted from the code’s purview, with rituals, traditions, and customs practiced by communities outside the scope of the UCC. He also contrasts the Assam approach with UCC models implemented earlier in other states, saying Uttarakhand, Goa and Gujarat have already implemented it, while Assam’s government has tailored it.
The chief minister says the UCC Bill will be laid before the new legislative assembly on May 26.
