NEW DELHI: Uttarakhand will become the first state in the country to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC). Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami will inaugurate the UCC portal at the rollout event tomorrow at 12.30 pm. A notification in this regard was issued earlier. The implementation of the Uniform Civil Code was one of the main promises of the BJP in the Uttarakhand assembly elections. The bill has 182 pages in four sections.

The bill provides for marriage, divorce, and the right to land, property and inheritance for all citizens of Uttarakhand, regardless of their religion. The law also prohibits child marriage and sets a uniform age of marriage for people of all religions. The tribal community has been exempted from this law. Meanwhile, the Chief Minister's Secretary Shailesh Bagoli said that the UCC is applicable to all people of Uttarakhand, including those living outside the state.

All marriages from now on must be registered within 60 days. Marriages that took place after March 26, 2010, will also have to be registered within six months as per the new law. The law also stipulates a specific age limit for marriage. The age limit for men is 21 and for women is 18. Although religious rituals can be followed in marriage ceremonies, legal permission will be mandatory. Meanwhile, the opposition has come out to criticize the UCC. It is criticized that the UCC will lead to social division on a religious basis.