Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 27 Jan: Uttarakhand government has brought into force the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), Uttarakhand (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026, after the Governor granted assent to integrate essential amendments into the Uniform Civil Code, Uttarakhand, 2024. Promulgated by the Governor under Article 213 of the Constitution of India, the Ordinance is now in force with immediate effect. The Amendment ordinance introduces procedural, administrative, and punitive reforms across various provisions of the Code to guarantee effective, transparent, and seamless implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC).
Key changes include the replacement of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) 1973, with the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNS), 2023 and the adoption of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, for penal provisions. Under Section 12, the Additional Secretary will serve as the competent authority in place of the Secretary which was the original provision. A new mechanism further ensures that the cases are automatically forwarded to the Registrar and Registrar General if the Sub-Registrar fails to act within the stipulated time. The right to appeal against the penalties imposed on the Sub-Registrar has been introduced, along with provisions for recovering such penalties as arrears of land revenue.
The amendments further stipulate that misrepresentation of identity at the time of marriage constitutes grounds for annulment. Stringent penalties apply to instances of force, coercion, fraud, or unlawful acts in marriages and live-in relationships. Upon termination of a live-in relationship, the Registrar is empowered to issue a termination certificate. In Schedule-2, the term “widow” has been replaced with “spouse”. The Registrar General will now hold the authority to cancel registrations pertaining to marriage, divorce, live-in relationships, and succession.
The government has claimed that these reforms aim primarily to render the UCC provisions clearer, more effective and practical, while bolstering administrative efficiency and safeguarding citizens’ rights.
