President gives assent to Gujarat UCC Bill; becomes second state after Uttarakhand

President Droupadi Murmu has given her assent to the Gujarat Uniform Civil Code Bill, 2026, clearing the way for the state to implement a common framework of personal laws and making Gujarat the second state after Uttarakhand to enact a comprehensive UCC. The legislation will come into force after the state government notifies the rules required for its implementation.

The Bill was passed by the Gujarat Assembly on March 24 following an eight-hour debate. It was introduced after a committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai submitted its recommendations to the state government.

ST population exempted

The legislation exempts Gujarat’s Scheduled Tribe population from its provisions. For those covered by the code, it seeks to establish common rules governing marriage, divorce, inheritance and related personal-law matters irrespective of religious affiliation.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, while introducing the Bill in the Assembly, had presented it as a measure aimed at protecting women’s rights, ensuring equality and promoting social harmony. The government has maintained that the legislation does not discriminate against any community or curtail religious freedom.

The Opposition, however, had challenged that position during the Assembly debate. The Congress staged a walkout, while both the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party sought the Bill’s referral to a select committee. Opposition members alleged that the legislation disproportionately targeted Muslims and was politically motivated, allegations rejected by the state government.

Marriage registration compulsory

The code makes registration of marriages compulsory, ordinarily within 60 days. Failure to register can attract a fine of up to Rs 10,000. It also prohibits polygamy and bigamy, while a marriage entered into through force, coercion or fraud can attract imprisonment of up to seven years.

Divorce will require judicial approval and registration under the new framework. The legislation also bars triple talaq and nikah halala and provides that women can remarry without additional conditions. The code provides equal property rights to sons and daughters, another significant element of the common inheritance framework.

Live-in relationships covered

The Gujarat legislation also brings live-in relationships within its ambit. Couples in such relationships will be required to register them with the authorities and provide information when the relationship ends. A child born from a live-in relationship will be considered legitimate and will have a legal claim on the father’s property. The law also allows a woman deserted by her live-in partner to seek maintenance. The registration provisions are among the aspects of UCC legislation that have generated debate over the balance between state regulation, individual privacy and personal autonomy.

Second after Uttarakhand

Gujarat now becomes the second state after Uttarakhand to enact a comprehensive modern UCC. Goa has long operated under a version of the Portuguese Civil Code inherited from the colonial period, but it was not enacted as a contemporary UCC through the same legislative process.

Other states have also moved towards introducing uniform personal-law frameworks. Assam and Madhya Pradesh have passed UCC legislation but have yet to implement it, while Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan have established committees to prepare proposed legislation.

The immediate focus in Gujarat will now shift from legislative approval to implementation. The state government must frame and notify detailed rules before the code takes effect, which will determine how requirements covering marriage registration, divorce, inheritance and live-in relationships operate in practice.