Overview
- Parliamentary Affairs Minister Atul Bora formally tabled The Uniform Civil Code, Assam, Bill, 2026 in the state Assembly on Monday, starting a process that the government says will unify laws on marriage, divorce, succession and live‑in relationships.
- The draft law bans polygamy, sets minimum marriage ages at 21 for men and 18 for women, requires registration of marriages and live‑in relationships, and prescribes penalties of up to seven years in jail for marriages obtained by force, coercion or fraud.
- The bill carves out explicit exemptions for Scheduled Tribes in both hill and plain areas and preserves traditional religious and customary practices from its scope.
- Opposition parties including the Congress, Raijor Dal and the Trinamool Congress immediately protested the fast‑tracked introduction and demanded the bill be referred to a select committee for wider stakeholder consultation.
- Assam would be the third state to pursue a UCC‑style law after Uttarakhand and Gujarat, a trend that could reshape family law, affect the legal status of children of unregistered unions, and prompt political conflict and likely court challenges.