Assam One Step Away From UCC: What Himanta Sarma’s New Bill Means For Marriage, Live-ins & Inheritance

UCC Assam: The Assam government has introduced the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the Assembly on Monday, nearly two weeks after the Cabinet approved the bill. On behalf of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Assam Parliamentary Affairs Minister Atul Bora on Monday tabled “The Uniform Civil Code, Assam, Bill, 2026” in the Assam assembly. The Bill is expected to be taken up for discussion and passage on May 27. Earlier on May 13, after conducting the first cabinet meeting of the second term of CM Sarma at the No. 1 State Guest House, Koinadhara in Guwahati, it was announced that the state government will be introducing the legislation during the ongoing session of the Legislative Assembly, being conducted from May 21 to 26.

Announcing the cabinet meeting decisions, CM Sarma had said that – “The State Cabinet approved the draft Bill on the Uniform Civil Code, which will be introduced on the final day of the Assam Legislative Assembly session.” 

What Remains Outside The Assam UCC

Scheduled Tribes (Hills), and Scheduled Tribes (Plain) will remain outside the purview of the UCC, with ‘Traditional religious customs, practices and rituals’ also be exempted.

“The Uniform Civil Code will primarily cover the following four subjects – Minimum age of marriage, Prohibition of polygamy, Equal rights for daughters in the property of parents, Matters relating to live-in relationships,” the Chief Minister had said.

Assam To Be 3rd State To Pass UCC

The Assam Cabinet approved the convening of the first session of the Assam Legislative Assembly under the present government on May 21, 22, 25 and 26. If the bill is passed, Assam will become the third state in the country to pass a UCC bill, following the example of Uttarakhand, and Gujarat. Uttarakhand introduced the UCC bill in 2024, becoming the first state in India to bring in such a law, in line with the Directive Principles of State Policy in the Constitution. The State shall endeavour to secure for the citizens a uniform civil code throughout the territory of India, according to Article 44 of Constitution. Meanwhile, the Gujarat Assembly had passed the UCC bill in March of this year, with the aim of providing stronger legal protection and equality for women across communities.

Nationwide UCC

The Bill covers key areas such as marriage, divorce, live-in relationships, maintenance, and inheritance, and seeks to ensure equal rights and legal safeguards for women.
The bills are in line with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s aim of implementing the Code nationwide, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that the Code will be implemented in West Bengal too. While addressing a rally in Murshidabad district on April, PM Modi said that the

BJP promises to implement the UCC to “end the politics of appeasement forever.”
In the recently concluded Assam Assembly election, the BJP achieved a landslide victory, winning 82 seats in the 126-member assembly. While in alliance with Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), and Bodoland People’s Front, the NDA tally was brought up to 102 seats, with both parties winning 10 seats each.

Opposition Reacts

Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) Working President Jakir Hussain Sikdar on Monday questioned the need for the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), alleging that the move was part of the BJP’s political agenda and adding that political parties in the state should have been consulted before the bill was introduced in the Assembly.

“We already asked why it is needed. The parties of Assam should have been consulted, which was not done. UCC is a political agenda of the BJP. How will it benefit the Assamese public?” Sikdar told ANI.

Congress MLA AK Rasheed Alam said the contents of the proposed legislation needed to be examined before any conclusion could be drawn.

“We will have to see what provisions it has, whether it is needed or not, and what its merits and demerits are. We can only know this after the protests,” Alam told ANI.

(With inputs from ANI)

Also Read: NDA’s Hattrick In Assam: Why BJP Chose Himanta Biswa Sarma as CM for a Second Term