The Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill passed by the Gujarat Assembly in March has received the President’s assent, paving the way for the legislation to come into force in the state. The Gujarat government issued a gazette notification following the approval.
The Gujarat Uniform Civil Code Bill, 2026, was passed by the Assembly on March 24, making Gujarat the second state after Uttarakhand to clear a UCC law.
The legislation introduces common legal provisions relating to marriage, divorce, inheritance and live-in relationships. The tribal community has been kept outside its ambit.
Equal Rights In Property
One of the key provisions of the new law concerns inheritance and property rights.
The UCC provides equal inheritance rights to sons and daughters, while women are to receive the same legal rights as men in matters involving property and succession.
The legislation is aimed at creating uniform legal provisions for these matters across the state, while retaining the exemption for tribal communities.
The law also lays down provisions governing marriage and divorce, bringing these areas under a common legal framework.
Live-In Registration Mandatory
The new law also introduces a registration requirement for live-in relationships.
Couples in live-in relationships will have to register their relationships under the UCC framework. The legislation also provides legal rights to children born from such relationships, including rights in their father’s property.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel had said the registration requirement was not intended to encourage live-in relationships, but to provide legal safeguards to women.
He said the provision had been included in response to changing social circumstances and to protect women from incidents such as the ‘Shraddha Walkar’ case.
Marriage registration has also been made compulsory under the new framework. Patel said the provision was intended to help prevent marriages involving concealed identities or fraud.
Patel’s ‘Dada’ Appeal
Following the bill’s passage, Patel described the legislation as necessary to protect women and girls in Gujarat. He said the occasion would be recorded in the state’s history.
While concluding the debate, the Chief Minister delivered an emotional address in which he linked his responsibility as the state’s leader to protecting women.
He said, “Everyone calls me Dada-Dada. So it is my moral duty to take care of all the daughters, sisters and mothers of my state. I have to raise the stick of law to protect all the daughters and mothers, and that is what I did.”
Equality, Not Religious Interference
Patel also sought to clarify the government’s stated objective behind the legislation, saying it was not intended to interfere with religious freedom or take away existing rights.
He described the Gujarat Equal Rights Act as a measure intended to address legal discrimination and said it was not directed against any particular community.
According to the Chief Minister, the legislation does not violate the Constitution but is instead intended to supplement its provisions.
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