Karnataka’s Smaran in action during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy cricket match against Uttarakhand at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, Gujarat on Wednesday, November 26, 2025.
| Photo Credit: VIJAY SONEJI

Guwahati:

Uttarakhand has become the first state in the country to implement UCC, but the Chief Minister of another hill state has ruled out a similar step. The implementation of Uniform Civil Code is neither practical nor appropriate, given the country’s diverse cultural and tribal communities, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said today.

He, however, acknowledged that certain aspects of civil laws could be made uniform while protecting the rights of indigenous communities.

Pointing at Uttarakhand, which became the first state to implement the UCC while excluding tribal customs from its purview, Mr Sangma said in a country as diverse as India, a Uniform Civil Code is not viable. 

His statement comes amid growing debates on the UCC, with Assam expressing interest in following Uttarakhand’s lead in implementing the code.

“A Uniform Civil Code, as a concept of making sure that everything becomes uniform, is not possible in India,” Mr Sangma said.

“There are tribal and indigenous communities with unique practices that may not align with the uniformity. To impose uniformity on every aspect of life, across all communities, would not be correct,” he added.

To explain the situation, he further added: “If a bill at the national or state level were to declare that the entire country should adopt a matrilineal system, Meghalaya would support that, because we are a matrilineal society. It all depends on the content of the bill – what aspects are being made uniform and in what way”.

“For us, as a state government, we are very clear. The Uniform Civil Code is not on our agenda. We respect the diverse identities of our tribal communities, and their traditional practices must be protected,” he added. 

Mr Sangma had made it clear earlier also that his government will not support the UCC.

Two years ago, a tribal council in Meghalaya unanimously passed a resolution to oppose the implementation of the UCC in areas within its jurisdiction.

Uttarakhand has become the first state in India to implement a Uniform Civil Code (UCC), aiming to simplify and standardize personal laws related to marriage, divorce, succession, and inheritance.
The UCC applies to all residents of Uttarakhand, except Scheduled Tribes and protected authority-empowered persons and communities.

Underscoring that the Uniform Civil Code or UCC will strengthen the spirit of democracy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday hailed it as “Secular Civil Code”, a day after Uttarakhand became the first state to implement the law. 

“Yesterday, Uttarakhand became the state to implement the Uniform Civil Code…I congratulate the Uttarakhand government for this. It will strengthen the spirit of democracy and the Constitution,” said the PM after inaugurating the 38th National Games in Dehradun.

“UCC has same team spirit as sports, discrimination against none,” said the Prime Minister.

The introduction of a Uniform Civil Code to replace laws on marriage, divorce and inheritance has been a longstanding goal of PM Modi and his party, the BJP. Muslim leaders and critics say the UCC challenges Islamic laws on divorce, marriage and inheritance.

On Monday, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar said one state has made Uniform Civil Code a reality and it is only a matter of time that the “entire country will have similar legislation”.

“Some people, out of ignorance, are criticizing the Uniform Civil Code. How can we criticize something which is mandate of the Indian Constitution, an ordainment emanating from our founding fathers, something that has to bring about gender equality?” the Vice President said yesterday.

In December, Union Home Minister Amit Shah told Rajya Sabha that every state with a BJP government would bring in the Civil Code the way it was done in Uttarakhand. The promise of the UCC was included in the BJP’s election manifesto for the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections.

Other BJP-ruled states such as Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have signalled plans to bring in their own civil codes.

New Delhi:

Uttarakhand will implement a Uniform Civil Code from January 27, laying a framework for uniform marriage, divorce, property, inheritance and adoption laws for all citizens. It will become the second state after Goa to have a uniform legal framework for citizens.

Implementation of the Code comes almost a year after the Bill was passed in the state Assembly, one of the BJPs key electoral promises in the 2022 polls. Among the clauses is the mandatory registration of live-in relationships and parental consent for live-in relationships involving individuals under the age of 21 years. The rule will apply to “any resident of Uttarakhand… in a live-in relationship outside the State”.

Failure to submit live-in relationship declarations, or providing false information, could land a person in jail for three months, attract a fine of Rs 25,000, or both. Even a month’s delay in registration could trigger a jail term of up to three months, a fine of Rs 10,000, or both.

Further, marriages will need to be registered mandatorily and the age of marriage for both genders across religions will be 21 years. This aims to ensure that they can complete their education before they get married. Some other key elements are a complete ban on polygamy, child marriage and triple talaq and a uniform process for divorce. The Code will not apply to Scheduled Tribes.

The legislation also aims to ensure equality among communities in terms of inheritance rights. The UCC also recognises children born out of live-in relationships as a “legitimate child of the couple” and ensures that they get equal rights in inheritance. Both sons and daughters will be referred to as child, omitting any gender differences.

The Uniform Civil Code bans practices that some sections of Muslim society follow when a woman loses her husband or gets divorced, including nikah halala and iddat.

Dehradun:

Congress leader and former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat stepped out Thursday morning in Dehradun to vote in municipal body elections in the hill state. Except, he could not.

Mr Rawat – a long-time resident of the city and who voted from Dehradun’s Niranjanpur neighbourhood in the April-June federal election and the 2022 Assembly election – was told his name had disappeared from the list of voters, and that there was nothing to be done about it.

The Congress veteran has voted from Dehradun’s Niranjanpur since 2009.

“I have been waiting since morning… but my name was not found at the polling station at which 9I voted in the Lok Sabha election,” he told news agency PTI, adding, in a sharp swipe at the BJP, “I should have been more alert… knowing they are involved in adding and removing names from the list.”

VIDEO | Dehradun Municipal Elections: Congress leader Harish Rawat raises concerns over voting issues.

“I have been waiting since morning… but my name was not found at the polling station where I voted in the Lok Sabha elections. They are now searching for it… let’s see what… pic.twitter.com/ZnNKmaD00n

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 23, 2025

On complaining to the State Election Commission, he was reportedly told the poll body’s computer server was malfunctioning and that he couldn’t vote for the candidate of his choice.

Elections are being held across Uttarakhand for 11 municipal corporations, 43 municipal councils, and 46 Nagar Panchayats.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, who leads the BJP government in the state, this morning called on all voters to exercise their franchise, and “please make the BJP candidates win”.

“I appeal to all the people of Uttarakhand; you have always stood by the BJP and (helped) form a double-engine government. You made Narendra Modi the Prime Minister, again. I appeal to all of you… please make all BJP candidates win and help form a triple-engine government,” he said.

With input from agencies

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Dehradun:

Six people died and 22 others were injured when a bus fell into a ditch in Pauri Garhwal district’s Srinagar area on Sunday, officials said.

According to the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the accident took place near Dahalchauri where the bus went out of control and fell into a 100-meter-deep gorge.

The bus, with 28 passengers on board, was en route to Dahalchauri from Pauri, they said, adding that five people died on the spot.

Local people also helped in conducting the rescue operation after the accident and the injured were taken to Pauri district hospital.

Eight of the injured have been referred to a higher health center in Srinagar in critical condition.

Pauri District Magistrate Ashish Chauhan reached the spot and conducted a speedy rescue operation under his supervision.

He has directed the officials of the Transport Department to investigate the causes of the accident.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has expressed deep grief over the accident and also prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Four people, including an 8-year-old boy, were killed and 24 injured after a roadways bus plunged into a 500-foot gorge in Uttarakhand’s Nainital district while trying to avoid a collision with a car.

The bus, which had 28 people on board, was travelling from Pithoragarh to Haldwani on Wednesday when it veered off the road near Aamdali in Bhimtal. The driver told the police that he had taken evasive action to avoid an accident with a car that had come from the wrong side. A passenger also confirmed the driver’s version.

Three people, including two men and a woman, died on the spot, while the 8-year-old boy died while undergoing treatment at a hospital. The remaining 24 people, including the driver, sustained injuries and are being treated at the Community Health Centre in Bhimtal.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami instructed to provide a relief amount of Rs 10 lakh to the families of the people who lost their lives in the accident.

“On the instructions of Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami, relief amount will be provided to the dead and injured in the bus accident that took place in Okhal of Bhimtal. Relief amount of Rs 10 lakh will be provided to the families of the dead, Rs 3 lakh to the seriously injured persons and Rs 15- Rs 25 thousand to the normally injured persons,” the CMO release said.

The minister also expressed grief over the incident and directed the local administration to carry out an immediate rescue operation.

“The news of the bus accident near Bhimtal is very saddening. The local administration has been directed to carry out immediate relief and rescue operations. I pray to Baba Kedar for the safety of all the travellers.” Chief Minister Dhami posted on X.

Rescue teams from the local administration, state disaster response force, fire department and the police used ropes to pull out the survivors from the gorge with the help of local residents.

Senior Superintendent of Police (Traffic and Crime) Jagdish Chand said, “The bus, which was travelling from Pithoragarh to Haldwani, fell 100 meters (approximately 320 feet) into the ditch. Police officials reached the spot after receiving the information.”

New Delhi:

A woman was caught by the police over a decade after she married a series of men and collected a total of Rs 1.25 crore from them in the name of settlement.

Seema alias Nikki, a resident of Uttarakhand, first married a businessman from Agra in 2013. Some time later, she filed a case against the man’s family and received Rs 75 lakh as a compromise.

In 2017, Seema married a software engineer from Gurugram and later took Rs 10 lakh from the man as settlement after parting ways with him.

She then went on to marry a Jaipur-based businessman in 2023, but soon fled his home with jewellery and cash worth Rs 36 lakh. After the family filed a case, Jaipur Police arrested Seema.

Police investigation revealed that Seema looked for her victims on matrimonial sites, usually settling for men who were either divorced or lost their wives. By marrying in different states, she collected a total of Rs 1.25 crore as settlement in various cases.

Dehradun:

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has taken cognisance of the incident that happened with a family of Pithoragarh’s Berinag where a family had to take the body of their son on roof of an SUV as they were unable to pay the charges of ambulance, said a statement from CMO.

The Chief Minister has ordered Health Secretary Dr R Rajesh Kumar to conduct a detailed investigation of the entire incident. Expressing strong displeasure over the incident, the CM has given strict instructions to the officials not to repeat such an incident in future, added the statement.

Dr R Rajesh Kumar said that answers have been sought from the concerned officials regarding the entire incident. Strict action will be taken against the culprits in the investigation.

Notably, a youth from Pithoragarh allegedly ended his life in Halduchaud. A family did not have money to take the son’s body to Pithoragarh. The ambulance drivers demanded 10 to 12 thousand rupees. In such a situation, the family called the SUV driver of their village tied the body to the roof of the SUV and took it to Pithoragarh, read the statement.

In line with the instructions given by the Chief Minister regarding this incident, the officials said that all efforts are being made to ensure that such an unfortunate incident is not repeated anywhere in the state.

Earlier on Saturday, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday participated in various events organised by the villagers and local residents in Rudraprayag’s Sari village.

He said that the state government was working towards increasing homestays.The Chief Minister said that along with strengthening the rural economy, homestays also make the tourists coming to Uttarakhand from the country and abroad aware of the rich culture of the state. He said that a large number of homestays are being operated in the state, employing thousands of local people.CM Dhami said that Sari village was an ideal village where there are more than 40 homestays. The state government was increasing homestays, he added.

Dehradun:

The Uttarakhand government will soon impose a green cess on out-of-state vehicles, an official said on Saturday.

The amount ranges from Rs 20 to Rs 80 and will apply to commercial and private vehicles alike, he said.

Two-wheelers, electric and CNG vehicles, those registered in Uttarakhand and those engaged in essential services like ambulances and fire brigades will be exempted, the official said.

The tendering process for implementing the cess levying system has been initiated, Joint Commissioner (Transport) Sanat Kumar Singh said.

“Our target is to operationalise the system by the end of December,” he said.

Automatic number plate recognition cameras will identify vehicles registered outside Uttarakhand and the amount will be deducted directly from the FASTag wallet of the vehicle owners, the official said.

Three-wheelers will be charged Rs 20, four-wheelers Rs 40, medium vehicles Rs 60 and heavy vehicles Rs 80, the Joint Commissioner said.

The cess will be charged based on single-day entries but vehicle owners will also have the choice of paying higher rates for extended validity passes such as 20 times the daily rate for a quarterly pass and 60 times for an annual pass, the official said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)