Guwahati, May 25: The Assam government on Monday introduced the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), Assam, 2026 Bill in the Legislative Assembly, proposing a common civil framework governing marriage, divorce, succession and live-in relationships for residents of the state while keeping Scheduled Tribes outside its ambit to preserve constitutional safeguards and customary traditions.
The proposed legislation seeks to replace religion-based personal laws with a uniform legal structure aimed at ensuring equality before law, legal consistency and gender justice. While introducing a common framework, the Bill retains provisions allowing marriages to continue under religious and customary practices followed by different communities.
Under the proposed law, monogamy has been made mandatory and the legal marriage age has been fixed at 21 years for men and 18 years for women. Marriages can continue to be solemnised through recognised customs and ceremonies, including Vedic Bibah, Ahom Chaklong, Saptapadi, Ashirvad, Nikah, Holy Union and Anand Karaj.
The Bill makes registration of marriages and divorces compulsory across the state, requiring couples to submit a marriage memorandum before the Sub-Registrar within 60 days of solemnisation. The legislation also establishes uniform grounds for divorce, including cruelty, desertion and mutual consent. It additionally provides that custody of children below the age of five would ordinarily remain with the mother during early childhood.
In inheritance matters, the proposed law introduces a gender-neutral succession framework for intestate property among Class-I heirs, including spouses, children and parents. It also grants adults of sound mind the right to execute a written and witnessed Will for testamentary succession.
The Bill also seeks to bring live-in relationships under a legal framework by making registration mandatory within one month of the relationship commencing. Children born from such relationships would be legally recognised as legitimate. Deserted partners would also be entitled to seek maintenance through legal proceedings.
The proposed legislation includes provisions prescribing penalties for violations linked to marriage, divorce and live-in relationships. Bigamy and polygamy could attract imprisonment of up to seven years under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. Child marriage and marriage without valid consent would invite action under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006.
The Bill further proposes punishment for fraudulent marriages conducted through concealment, coercion or deception, as well as penalties for illegal divorce procedures and unlawful conditions imposed before remarriage. Marriage within prohibited relationships, unless permitted by valid customs, would also attract punishment.
Failure to comply with registration provisions would also invite penalties. Deliberate non-registration of marriages or divorces within the prescribed period could attract a fine of Rs 10,000. Submission of forged documents during registration may lead to imprisonment and financial penalties. Similar provisions have also been proposed for non-registration or false declarations concerning live-in relationships.
The legislation additionally proposes repeal of the Assam Compulsory Registration of Muslim Marriages and Divorces Act, 2024. However, it includes a provision ensuring that polygamous marriages solemnised before the implementation of the proposed UCC remain legally protected.
The Assam government said the proposed legislation seeks to establish a uniform legal system while maintaining sensitivity towards cultural and traditional practices, with an emphasis on accountability, transparency and equal civil rights.
