The Assam Assembly on Monday introduced the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill in a bid to ban polygamy and make registration of live-in relationships compulsory. The move comes nearly two weeks after the state cabinet approved the Bill.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Atul Bora tabled “The Uniform Civil Code, Assam, Bill, 2026" in the Assembly. The Bill is expected to be taken up for discussion and passage on May 27.
Earlier on May 13, after the first cabinet meeting of the second term of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the state government announced that the legislation would be introduced during the ongoing Assembly session from May 21 to 26.
Announcing the cabinet decisions, CM Sarma had said, “The State Cabinet approved the draft Bill on the Uniform Civil Code, which will be introduced on the final day of the Assam Legislative Assembly session."
Scheduled Tribes (Hills) and Scheduled Tribes (Plain) will remain outside the purview of the UCC. Traditional religious customs, practices and rituals will also be exempted.
The proposed Uniform Civil Code will mainly cover four subjects — minimum age of marriage, prohibition of polygamy, equal rights for daughters in parental property and matters relating to live-in relationships.
“The Bill aims to consolidate and simplify laws governing marriage, divorce, succession, and live-in relationships,” Sarma said in the ‘Statement of Object and Reasons’ in the Bill.
The Opposition parties, including Congress, Raijor Dal and Trinamool Congress, opposed the move and demanded wider consultation with all the stakeholders before its introduction.
For marriage, the Bill sets 21 years and 18 years as minimum ages for men and women respectively, and prohibits polygamy, he added.
“For the first time, Bill provides a legal framework for live-in relationships. By requiring registration, the law ensures that the rights of partners — and any children born from such unions — are formally recognised and protected,” the CM said in the Bill.
The Gujarat assembly had in March passed the UCC Bill that seeks to put in place a common legal framework to govern marriage, divorce, succession and live-in relationships irrespective of religion.
The Uniform Civil Code of Uttarakhand is a comprehensive legal framework that unifies personal laws across religions. Signed into law following the President’s assent in March 2024 and implemented via the Rules established in 2025, it also standardizes rules for marriage, divorce, inheritance and live-in relationships.
The UCC Bill stipulates 7 years of jail term if marriages are conducted through force, coercion, or fraud, and also prohibits bigamy/polygamy. It also makes registration of marriages and live-in relationships mandatory.
The ruling BJP in Assam hailed the Bill, which exempts tribals, as a landmark reform to ensure equality, while the Congress vehemently opposed it saying it violates fundamental right and was “anti-Muslim”.
