The Uttarakhand Cabinet has cleared the proposal to introduce the Uniform Civil Code (Amendment) Bill, 2025 in the upcoming monsoon session of the Assembly. The amendment extends the mandatory period for marriage registration from six months to one year. The government had already enforced this change in July through an ordinance, which will now be formalized into law.
Under the revised provisions, all marriages registered from March 26, 2020, onward will be allowed the extended one-year timeframe. The amendment also introduces penalties for delays or violations beyond this period. Additionally, it provides a framework for appeals before sub-registrars, clarifies fee structures, and removes several inconsistencies identified by the UCC committee.
Corrections have also been made in the Act, such as replacing references to the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) with the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and ensuring penalties are properly categorized instead of being written as fees. These steps are aimed at making the UCC more practical and streamlined in implementation.
