Assam UCC Bill seeks polygamy ban, registration of live-in relationships

📌 Summary:

• The Assam government tabled 'The Uniform Civil Code, Assam, 2026 Bill' in the State Assembly on May 25, 2026, proposing a common law for all residents on marriage, divorce, succession and live-in relationships
• Assam follows Uttarakhand and Gujarat, which earlier enacted UCC laws; the Bill was tabled by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Atul Bora on behalf of CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, and was opposed by Congress and two other Opposition parties
• Key provisions: it mandates monogamy and bans bigamy and polygamy — punishable with up to seven years' imprisonment under Section 82 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 — and sets a standardised legal marriage age of 21 for grooms and 18 for brides
• Scheduled Tribes are excluded from the Bill's purview; the Bill preserves full freedom of ritual, allowing marriages by any custom such as Vedic Bibah, Ahom Chaklong, Saptapadi, Nikah and Anand Karaj
• Compulsory registration of all marriages and divorces (a marriage memorandum to be delivered to the Sub-Registrar within 60 days); uniform grounds for divorce such as cruelty, desertion or mutual consent; custody of children under five with the mother
• It creates a uniform, gender-equal order of intestate inheritance among Class-1 heirs (spouse, children, parents), and lets any adult of sound mind execute a written, witnessed will
• Mandatory registration of live-in relationships within a month; any child born of a live-in relationship is declared fully legitimate, and a deserted live-in partner gets legal standing to claim maintenance
• Penalties: child marriage or marriage without valid consent up to 2 years; fraudulent or deceptive marriages up to 7 years; deliberate non-registration of marriage or divorce ₹10,000; failure to register a live-in relationship up to 3 months' jail or a ₹10,000 fine

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS2 Polity — the Uniform Civil Code under Article 44 (a Directive Principle of State Policy), personal-law reform, gender justice, and federalism in family law.

📝 Prelims Facts:

• Article 44 of the Constitution, a Directive Principle, directs the State to endeavour to secure a Uniform Civil Code for citizens
• Uttarakhand and Gujarat enacted UCC laws before Assam
• The Assam UCC Bill excludes Scheduled Tribes and sets the marriage age at 21 (grooms) and 18 (brides)
• Bigamy and polygamy are punishable under Section 82 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023

🔑 Key Term: Uniform Civil Code (UCC) — a common set of personal laws governing marriage, divorce, inheritance and adoption applicable to all citizens regardless of religion, envisaged under Article 44 of the Constitution.