Jun 15, 2023
By: Sourabh JainUniform Civil Code (UCC) is in the news again after the Law Commission asked for suggestions from the public and religious organisations.
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UCC is a proposed set of laws aimed at replacing personal laws based on religious customs and traditions, with a common set of laws governing various aspects of personal life – such as marriage, divorce and inheritance, among others – which apply to all citizens equally, regardless of their religion, gender and sexual orientation.
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While the first mention of UCC in India was during the drafting of the Indian Constitution, it came to the limelight again during the Shah Bano case that was decided in 1985, and has been a recurring issue in Indian politics.
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While the UCC will have a wide impact, we look at some of the ways UCC may impact your life directly.
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The UCC will have a major impact on marriages, bringing uniformity to aspects such as age of marriage and abolition of polygamy, among others.
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It’s not just marriages, UCC will also affect divorces. It aims to provide equal divorce-related rights to both men and women. Divorce laws are currently governed by the religion of the persons involved.
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Succession and inheritance, which are currently governed by personal laws of different religions, will be governed by a common law for all after UCC is implemented.
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The benefits of Hindu Undivided Family (HUF), such as tax benefits, will become obsolete once UCC is implemented.
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Adoption is another area that will be affected by UCC. Adoption is currently governed by the religion of the child.
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