Dehradun: Making the registration of marriage mandatory in the state under UCC manual, Uttarakhand government has decided not to give the benefits of government jobs and welfare schemes to such couples who didn’t get their marriage registered. The state government is going to implement UCC in the month of October this year.
This decision was taken in a high-level meeting of senior government officials, led by UCC member Shatrughna Singh and Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Radha Raturi, on Friday. The meeting focused on preparing the manual for implementing the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in October, as planned by the state government.
Marriage registration compulsory for all in the state
During this meeting, Shatrughna Singh and other UCC members informed officials and departmental chiefs that the government could use UCC provisions to make marriage registration mandatory for everyone in the state. Additionally, the UCC members suggested that to ensure strict implementation, the government could deny employment opportunities and public welfare benefits to unregistered married couples. With this, officials present at the meeting claimed that this step by the state government will ensure strict implementation of the UCC in Uttarakhand.
People will be given 3-6 months to complete the registration formalities
For an adequate implementation of UCC in the state, the government has formed a committee to prepare a manual. According to the UCC manual under preparation, individuals who do not register their marriages within the stipulated time frame after the UCC’s implementation will be granted an extension of 3-6 months to complete the registration formalities. Additionally, government employees will have to submit registered certificates of their marriages within a definite period after the marriage is solemnised.
UCC bill was tabled in Uttarakhand in Feb this year
Dhami enacted the UCC in February 2024 to provide equal rights to the people of Uttarakhand, especially women, regardless of their caste or religious beliefs. According to the Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami, this new set of laws will come into the shape before foundation day of the state on 9 November this year. UCC has been drafted to give equal rights to everyone in marriage, inheritance and property rights.