Overview
- The Waqf Board says a nearly finished nikahnama will be reviewed with members of the state UCC committee and government officials at a meeting set for Sept. 9.
- Key measures in the draft include allowing only registered 'qazis' or 'maulanas' to solemnise marriages with unique IDs, removing fields for multiple marriages, banning halala, and making the iddat waiting period optional.
- The document would bar conversions done solely to enable marriage and point interfaith couples to the Special Marriage Act instead of conversion for marriage.
- The Board says it will seek consent from ulema and carry out a legal review before issuing the nikahnama to limit implementation challenges.
- The All India Muslim Personal Law Board opposes the move, is urging delay until the Uttarakhand High Court rules, and has announced a national campaign from Sept. 17 and plans for further legal challenges, reflecting wider tensions since Uttarakhand enacted a UCC in January 2025.