Overview
- The Rajasthan Cabinet approved the draft Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill and the Rajasthan Trees (Protection) Bill on August 13, 2026, and officials said both will be introduced in the Assembly session beginning August 20, 2026.
- The roughly 200‑page UCC draft seeks a common legal framework for marriage, divorce, inheritance, maintenance and live‑in relationships and would ban polygamy while requiring marriage and divorce registration within 60 days.
- The bill would create equal inheritance rights for sons and daughters, set a priority order for succession including protections for grandchildren where a parent predeceases a grandparent, and impose fines for registration failures of up to ₹10,000 and higher penalties for ignoring notices.
- The Trees (Protection) Bill lists 29 species for special protection, makes felling on non‑forest land subject to prior permission and compensatory planting, and prescribes penalties of up to one year in jail and fines up to ₹1 lakh for unauthorised cutting.
- The UCC draft was prepared by an expert committee led by former Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai, excludes Scheduled Tribes to protect constitutionally recognised customary rights, and is part of a broader push by BJP‑ruled states to advance state‑level UCC measures.