Assam cabinet clears draft UCC Bill, to be tabled in Assembly on May 26

NEW DELHI: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on Wednesday that assam govt will introduce the Uniform Civil Code Bill (UCC) in the Assembly on May 26."Assam cabinet has decided to introduce UCC Bill (Uniform Civil Code Bill) on the last day of the state assembly session on May 26. The state cabinet has approved the draft of UCC," he said, as quoted by ANI.Further sharing details on specific implementation for the state, he added, ""Basically, the UCC will deal with marriage, live-in relationship and compulsory registration of marriage, including divorce. It will be almost in sync with Gujarat, Uttarakhand and Goa. However, we have completely exempted the tribal population and customs, rituals, and traditions of Assam. Because in Assam we have different communities, different customs."The move comes as part of the BJP-led government’s broader commitment to implement the UCC, a long-standing ideological and legislative promise in its election manifesto.The Uniform Civil Code refers to a proposal to replace personal laws based on religion with a common set of civil laws governing marriage, divorce, inheritance and adoption for all citizens. It is aimed at ensuring uniformity in legal rights and obligations across communities, though it remains a politically sensitive issue in India.Only a few states, including Uttarakhand, have so far implemented the UCC framework, while others like Gujarat have also moved in that direction.CM Sarma has previously said the government will act in line with its manifesto and under constitutional provisions while prioritising Assam’s identity and development agenda.The announcement adds to a series of policy commitments by the newly formed “NDA 3.0” government in the state, which has signalled a push to accelerate reforms in its current term.