The Assam Assembly on Monday introduced the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill, which seeks 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.
After the first Cabinet meeting of the second term of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on May 13, the state government had announced that the legislation would be introduced during the ongoing Assembly session.
Announcing the Cabinet decisions, Sarma had said, “The 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 (Plains) will remain outside the purview of the UCC. Traditional religious customs, practices and rituals will also be exempted, he had said.
The proposed UCC mainly covers four subjects — minimum age of marriage, prohibition of polygamy, equal rights for daughters in parental property and matters related 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 Objects and Reasons.
For marriage, the Bill sets 21 years and 18 years as the minimum age for men and women, respectively, and prohibits polygamy.
“For the first time, the 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 Chief Minister said in the Bill.
Gujarat and Uttarakhand are the other two states that have passed UCC legislation.
The Gujarat Assembly had in March passed a UCC Bill seeking to put in place a common legal framework to govern marriage, divorce, succession and live-in relationships, irrespective of religion.
Uttarakhand’s UCC, which received the President’s assent in March 2024 and was implemented through rules notified in 2025, also standardises rules for marriage, divorce, inheritance and live-in relationships.
The Assam Bill stipulates a jail term of up to seven years if marriages are conducted through force, coercion or fraud. It also prohibits bigamy and polygamy, making 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. The Congress opposed it, saying it violated fundamental rights and was “anti-Muslim”.
Opposition parties, including the Congress, Raijor Dal and Trinamool Congress, demanded wider consultation with all stakeholders before the Bill’s introduction.
