Gandhinagar, March 24 The Gujarat government on Tuesday introduced the Gujarat Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill, 2026, in the legislative assembly, proposing a common legal framework to govern marriage, divorce, inheritance, and live-in relationships, irrespective of religion.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel tabled the bill a week after a state-appointed panel submitted its final report on the implementation of the UCC.
If the bill is passed, Gujarat will become the second state in the country, after Uttarakhand, to pass a UCC bill. Uttarakhand passed a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill in February 2024.
The proposed law, titled the 'Gujarat Uniform Civil Code, 2026', will apply to the entire state and also to residents of Gujarat living outside its territorial limits.
However, it will not apply to members of Scheduled Tribes and certain groups whose customary rights are protected under the Constitution.
The bill aims to create a uniform legal framework, as stated in its "Objects and Reasons" statement.
Among other things, it provides for the registration of live-in relationships, as well as their termination through a formal declaration.
The bill also prohibits polygamy. A marriage will be considered valid under the Code only if neither party has a living spouse at the time of marriage, it says.
