President Droupadi Murmu grants assent to Gujarat Uniform Civil Code Bill, 2026

Key facts

• President Droupadi Murmu has given her assent to the Gujarat Uniform Civil Code Bill, 2026, completing the key legal process required for the state to enact the law.
• Gujarat is the second state in India after Uttarakhand to pass legislation seeking to implement a Uniform Civil Code.
• The provisions of the bill will not apply to members of Scheduled Tribes (STs).
• Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel said the UCC was among the key reforms that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was determined to implement and that its key aim is to ensure social harmony and national unity.
• The bill proposes mandatory registration of marriages and divorces, with a fine of up to Rs 10,000 for non-compliance.
• The bill makes registration of all live-in relationships compulsory, requires couples to notify authorities when such relationships end, considers children born from live-in relationships legitimate, and entitles women deserted by live-in partners to seek maintenance.
• The legislation bans polygamy and provides for up to seven years' imprisonment for marriages conducted through coercion or force.
• Divorce through any means other than a court decree will be punishable with up to three years in prison.
• The bill allows divorced couples to remarry without conditions and prohibits the practice of 'halala' in certain communities.