Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said the state will implement the Uniform Civil Code with some additional provisions on the lines of Uttarakhand and Gujarat.
He said tribal communities will be exempted from the legislation.
Addressing reporters, Sarma emphasized that Uttarakhand and Gujarat would introduce the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) first, and Assam would subsequently follow suit with some additional provisions. He also expressed eagerness to review Uttarakhand’s UCC Bill.
“I am waiting to see Uttarakhand’s UCC Bill. We will bring a similar bill. In Assam, the tribal community will be exempted under the ambit of the UCC,” he said.
The Uttarakhand government, on December 23, 2023, approved suggestions of an expert panel responsible for drafting the Uniform Civil Code for the state. The Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, endorsed the committee’s decisions.
The expert panel, led by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, is expected to submit the draft to the state government this month, initiating the implementation process.
Assam’s move to implement the UCC aligns with the broader national objective of standardizing personal laws across communities and promoting uniformity in civil matters.