Gandhinagar, Oct 2 (IANS) Gujarat’s Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill has cleared the Presidential assent stage, paving the way for the state government to move ahead with its implementation, with the government also issuing a gazette notification for the legislation.

President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the Gujarat Uniform Civil Code Bill, 2026, on September 17, according to the official records of the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The Bill, passed by the Gujarat Assembly in March, seeks to establish a common legal framework for personal civil matters, including marriage, divorce, succession, inheritance and live-in relationships, irrespective of religion.

The Presidential assent completes a key constitutional step for the legislation.

The state government will now proceed with the administrative process required to operationalise the provisions of the code.

The Gujarat Assembly passed the Bill on March 24 following a debate lasting more than seven hours.

Opposition Congress members had walked out during the discussion and sought reference of the legislation to a Select Committee.

Among its major provisions, the UCC prohibits bigamy and lays down uniform conditions for marriage and divorce. It also provides for equal inheritance rights for sons and daughters and sets out provisions governing succession in cases where a person dies without leaving a will.

The Bill also recognises adopted children and children born through surrogacy or assisted reproductive technology within its definition of a child. Live-in relationships have been brought within a formal legal framework under the Code.

Partners in such relationships are required to submit a statement to the designated Registrar, while the legislation provides legal recognition to children born from such relationships.

The Bill also specifies circumstances in which a live-in relationship cannot be registered, including where one of the partners is already married or is in another registered live-in relationship.

The Code, however, does not apply to members of Scheduled Tribes as defined under the Constitution.

It also excludes certain groups whose customary rights are protected under Part XXI of the Constitution.

The Gujarat legislation follows the implementation of a UCC in Uttarakhand, which became the first state in India to bring such a code into force in January 2025.

Assam’s UCC Bill, passed earlier this year, also received Presidential assent on September 29, according to Rashtrapati Bhavan records.

The Gujarat government had earlier constituted a committee to examine the implementation of a UCC in the state.

The Bill was subsequently introduced after the panel submitted its report to the state government.

–IANS

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