By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
More than 1.5 lakh applications have been received in the first four-month period for the registration under the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in Uttarakhand, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dham has said.
Participating in the Chief Ministers’ Council meeting held in New Delhi under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Chief Minister stated that a robust system has been developed to implement the UCC.
The UCC was formally implemented across Uttarakhand on January 27, 2025.
To make the process more accessible and user-friendly for the general public, a dedicated portal and mobile app have also been developed. Additionally, more than 14,000 Common Service Centers (CSCs) at the village level have been integrated with the system.
For addressing issues related to the registration under the UCC, auto-escalation and grievance redressal systems have been put in place, he said.
Due to extensive digital and physical networking, more than 1.5 lakh applications have been received from across the state in just a four-month period, he said. Furthermore, applications have been received from nearly 98% of villages, indicating widespread public support for the UCC, the CM claimed.
CM Dhami expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for their guidance and support in successfully implementing the UCC. He said that under the leadership and vision of the Prime Minister, a promise was made in the 2022 Assembly election manifesto that the UCC would be implemented in Uttarakhand if given a mandate. After securing victory, work on implementing the UCC began on day one. A draft of the UCC bill was prepared after the formation of a committee on 27 May 2022, chaired by Justice Ranjana Desai. The committee conducted extensive public consultations in all 13 districts of Uttarakhand, receiving around 2.32 lakh suggestions. It consulted not only the general public but also leaders of all political parties and heads of various statutory commissions.
The state government passed the UCC bill in the state assembly on 7 February 2024 and forwarded it to President Droupadi Murmu. The President gave her assent on 11 March 2024. After completing the required rules and procedures, the UCC was formally implemented across Uttarakhand on 27 January 2025. Thus, Uttarakhand became the first state in India to practically implement the spirit of Article 44 of the Constitution through the UCC, he said. Goa has also implemented the UCC.
Providing more details, the Chief Minister stated that the UCC is a constitutional measure to eliminate legal discrimination based on caste, religion, gender, etc. It aims to ensure equal rights for all citizens. With its implementation, true women empowerment in the state will be ensured. The UCC completely prohibits regressive practices such as halala, iddat, polygamy, child marriage, and triple talaq.
Scheduled Tribes, as defined under Article 342 of the Constitution, have been excluded from the scope of the UCC to protect their customs and traditions.