Uttarakhand Marks One Year of UCC Implementation: Will Other BJP States or the Nation Follow?

Uttarakhand on Tuesday marked one year of the successful implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) , a landmark reform that has placed the hill state at the centre of a nationwide debate on civil law uniformity.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami , addressing a programme organised to commemorate the anniversary, described the UCC as a major step towards gender justice, legal equality and social reform . January 27 is now being observed in the state as ‘UCC Day’ , marking the date on which the law came into force in 2025.

Uttarakhand became the first state in post-Independence India to implement a comprehensive Uniform Civil Code, replacing religion-based personal laws with a common legal framework governing marriage, divorce, inheritance, succession and live-in relationships , while exempting Scheduled Tribes.

According to the state government, the first year witnessed extensive public engagement, with lakhs of registrations processed through the online UCC portal. Officials claim that the code has strengthened women’s rights by ensuring equal inheritance, uniform marriage laws and a ban on discriminatory practices such as polygamy and instant triple talaq.

The government also introduced a UCC Amendment Ordinance in 2026 , refining administrative procedures, strengthening penalties for fraud and coercion in marriage and live-in relationships, and enabling annulment of marriages in cases involving concealment of identity or false information.

While the state leadership has projected the first year as a successful rollout, the UCC has also triggered debate, particularly over provisions relating to the mandatory registration of live-in relationships and concerns over privacy. Several petitions challenging specific clauses remain under judicial scrutiny.

A long-standing BJP poll plank

The Uniform Civil Code has been a core ideological and electoral promise of the Bharatiya Janata Party for decades, repeatedly featuring in its national manifestos as part of its commitment to Article 44 of the Constitution , which calls for a common civil code for citizens.

With Uttarakhand now serving as a live model, political observers believe the state’s experience could influence the party’s future course at both the state and national levels.

Several BJP-ruled states, including Gujarat, Assam and Madhya Pradesh , have publicly indicated that they are studying the Uttarakhand model. Committees have been announced in some states, though no legislation has yet been introduced.

At the national level, the Centre has so far stopped short of introducing a countrywide UCC in Parliament. However, party leaders have increasingly pointed to Uttarakhand as proof that such a reform can be implemented within the constitutional framework without disturbing religious freedoms.

State model or national roadmap?

Legal experts note that while marriage, divorce and succession fall under the Concurrent List , allowing states to legislate independently, a nationwide UCC would require parliamentary approval and broader political consensus.

Whether Uttarakhand’s experiment remains a state-specific reform or evolves into a national roadmap will depend on political will, public acceptance and judicial interpretation in the coming years.

For now, Uttarakhand stands as India’s first test case of a modern Uniform Civil Code , with its one-year milestone reviving a larger national question will more BJP-ruled states follow, or is the country itself preparing for the next major civil law reform?