Overview
- The state Cabinet unanimously approved the draft Uniform Civil Code on Sunday and specified that Scheduled Tribe communities are excluded from the bill’s scope.
- The draft makes one marriage the only legally recognised union until a court grants a divorce and outlaws instant triple talaq and polygamy.
- It would require live‑in couples to register within one month, set minimum ages at 21 for men and 18 for women, and allow up to five years’ jail for a married person who enters a live‑in relationship.
- The government says a UCC committee held meetings in 51 districts, collected about one million suggestions and reported strong support from respondents including many Muslim women, while opposition parties have questioned the consultation and the need for the measure.
- Final enactment now depends on Assembly approval and the law could prompt legal challenges and political debate as it extends BJP‑led efforts in other states to replace religion‑based personal laws and change how marriage, divorce and property rights are enforced.