MP Cabinet Approves Draft UCC, Live-in Relationship to be Legitimised, Polygamy Banned
NEW DELHI, July 19: The Madhya Pradesh Cabinet on Sunday approved the draft Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill, proposing a prohibition on practices like polygamy and nikah halala, while introducing strict provisions for live-in relationships.
The Bill, however, exempts the State’s large tribal population. The Bill, drafted by a six-member committee and scheduled to be tabled in the Legislative Assembly during the Monsoon Session starting Monday, was approved at a special Cabinet meeting in Jagdishpur near Bhopal.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, who has stepped up his push for the UCC over the past week, claimed that the proposed law has received support from all religious communities and that over 80% of Muslim women and 40% of Muslim men backed the proposal.
Mr Yadav also slammed the Congress, saying while Opposition parties like the Left and the Aam Aadmi Party attended the consultations on the government’s invitations, the principal Opposition party did not come. “I don’t know what the Congress sees in the Hindu-Muslim votes. They always have a dilemma over one nation, one symbol and one law,” he said, addressing the media after the Cabinet meeting.
The draft Bill excludes the Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities to protect their “unique cultural heritage and traditional lifestyle.” “Respecting constitutional safeguards, this law will not apply to Scheduled Tribes (such as Bhil, Gond, Korku, Baiga, Sahariya, and Bharia) covered under Articles 342 and 366 (Clause 25) of the Constitution. Furthermore, communities whose traditional rights are protected under Part XXI of the Constitution have also been specifically exempted,” a government official said.
The Bill seeks to prohibit polygamy and simultaneously multiple marriages across all communities and declares practices like triple talaq and nikah halala as illegal and punishable. “Verbal divorce or decisions made by informal panchayats have been declared completely illegal. Now, a marriage can be dissolved only on clear and statutory grounds prescribed by law,” the official said.
As per the draft Bill, it will be mandatory to register marriages and divorces across all communities through government portals, to ensure marital rights, alimony and various legal protections for women. “The Code has removed the term ‘illegitimate’ from the legal framework. Children of married or unmarried parents—whether biological, adopted, or born through surrogacy or Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART)—will enjoy equal legal status,” he added.
The Bill also seeks to make it mandatory for live-in couples to submit an affidavit to the local registrar within a month of entering such a relationship, failing which could attract legal action.
While the minimum age for entering a live-in relationship remains 18, the proposed legislation provides that if either partner is below 21 years of age, information regarding the commencement and termination of the live-in relationship will be sent to their parents or guardians, and that the registrar will also share the record with the local police.
“Children born out of live-in relationships will be considered legitimate and entitled to full inheritance rights. If the male partner abandons the woman, she can claim maintenance—just like a legal wife—through a competent court,” the official said. The Bill also seeks to provide equal inheritance rights to sons and daughters irrespective of their marital status.
“Widows and widowers are also treated equally regarding the deceased’s property. Equal status for parents: Both the surviving mother and father are classified as Class-I heirs and are entitled to an equal share in the deceased child’s property, alongside the spouse and children,” the official said.
Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Umang Singhar, however, questioned the need for the legislation. “I have repeatedly asked why the need for such a law has arisen now. Are the people of this country not Indians? Are they not Hindustanis? Why does the BJP ignore real issues such as inflation, unemployment, and the shortage of fertilisers for farmers? Why are these issues not being discussed? Will the Assembly discuss the plight of farmers or youth unemployment? The Chief Minister must explain what is happening in the State,” he said.
(Manas Dasgupta)
