Assam Govt to Table UCC Bill on May 26, Likely to Regulate Marriage, Inheritance & Live-In Relationships

The Assam Cabinet on Wednesday approved the draft Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill and decided to table it in the Assembly on May 26, with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma asserting that the proposed law would not interfere with religious customs and would keep tribal communities outside its ambit.

The decision was taken at the first Cabinet meeting of the BJP-led government after Sarma assumed office for a second consecutive term earlier this week. The Assembly session is scheduled to begin on May 21, with the government planning to introduce the legislation on the concluding day of the session.

Addressing reporters after the Cabinet meeting, Sarma said the state government had “customised” the proposed UCC to suit Assam’s social realities and demographic diversity. He said the Cabinet had earlier decided that the legislation would be brought before the Assembly on May 26 and that the draft was formally approved on Wednesday.

“Today the Cabinet approved the Uniform Civil Code and after all members take oath, I will place it in the first session of the Assembly,” Sarma said.

The Chief Minister repeatedly stressed that religious practices and customs would remain untouched under the proposed legislation. Referring to concerns over possible interference in religious affairs, Sarma said the UCC would not regulate how people pray, perform rituals, or follow their faith.

“Questions may arise whether puja will be done according to the UCC or whether naam-prasanga will come under the UCC. To avoid such doubts, religious traditions have been kept completely outside the scope of the law,” he said.

He further clarified that the government would have “no opinion” on how namaz is offered, how puja is performed, or how religious teachings are followed. According to Sarma, the law would instead focus on civil issues such as the minimum age of marriage, prohibition of polygamy, compulsory registration of marriages, inheritance and property rights, while also proposing provisions for the regulation of live-in relationships.

The Chief Minister also announced that tribal communities in both hill and plain areas of Assam would remain exempt from the proposed UCC framework.

“All tribal people in Assam, both in the hills and plains, will remain outside the purview of the UCC,” he said, adding that customary practices and religious traditions of Hindus, Muslims, Christians and indigenous communities would remain unaffected.

The Assam government’s move comes amid a broader push by BJP-ruled states to implement versions of the Uniform Civil Code. Uttarakhand became the first state to pass a UCC law in 2024, with the legislation coming into force the following year.

Sarma has been vocal about introducing a UCC in Assam for over two years and had earlier indicated that the state was working on legislation aimed at curbing polygamy and standardising personal laws.

The Assam government has maintained that the draft has been structured to avoid conflict with religious freedoms and indigenous customs.

The Bill will now be introduced in the Assam Assembly on May 26.

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