Reflecting on Uttarakhand’s UCC milestone—one year strong—committee member Manu Gaur beams with pride. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami’s initiative, realized January 27 last year, owes much to a three-year draft honed for gender parity in civil matters.
‘It was my honor to contribute,’ Gaur told us, emphasizing equality for women in wedlock and assets. The portal’s ledger? A whopping 400,000 new marriages, 800,000 legacy ones, over 4,000 wills—proof of public embrace.
Critics pigeonhole it as matrimonial-only; Gaur begs to differ. Last year saw 11 polygamy charges against second-marriage seekers and 54 triple talaq blocks, averting women’s plight—stats seldom spotlighted.
Live-in controversies fueled faith-attack narratives, yet the goal was child welfare. 162 apps reviewed: 70 registered, others bounced for non-adherence, nipping crimes in the bud.
Amendments, akin to Charter changes, adapt to realities like live-ins—Uttarakhand’s innovation. No prior tallies existed; privacy holds, but SC-mandated marriage logs set precedent. UCC extends this shield for females.
Gaur envisions fluidity: Laws will morph with society. Uttarakhand’s year-one triumphs herald a fairer future.