Assam Parliamentary Affairs Minister Atul Bora introduced the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill, 2026 [2] in the state assembly on Monday.
The legislation aims to standardize personal laws across different communities in Assam. By creating a single set of rules for marriage, divorce, and inheritance, the government intends to modernize civil law and ensure legal uniformity for all citizens regardless of religion.
Bora introduced the bill on behalf of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in the Assam Legislative Assembly in Guwahati. The proposed code focuses on several key social regulations, including a total ban on polygamy and the establishment of a minimum age for marriage [1], [2].
One of the more contentious elements of the bill is the requirement for the registration of live-in relationships [1], [3]. The government said this measure is part of a broader effort to regulate domestic partnerships and provide legal clarity for couples not married under traditional laws.
Beyond relationship status, the bill targets the modernization of succession and divorce laws. These changes are designed to streamline how assets are divided, and how marriages are dissolved across the state's diverse population [3], [5].
Despite the push for uniformity, the bill includes a significant carve-out. Scheduled Tribes are exempted from the provisions of the UCC [1], [2]. This exemption preserves the customary laws and traditional practices specific to these tribal communities, preventing the new code from overriding indigenous social structures.
With this introduction, Assam becomes the third state in India to introduce a Uniform Civil Code bill [1]. The move follows a growing trend among several Indian states to move away from community-specific personal laws in favor of a secular legal framework.
“Assam becomes the third state in India to introduce a Uniform Civil Code bill”
The introduction of the UCC in Assam signals a shift toward the centralization of personal law, which has historically been governed by religious or community-specific statutes in India. By exempting Scheduled Tribes, the government is attempting to balance the goal of secular uniformity with the political and cultural necessity of protecting indigenous rights. The mandate for live-in relationship registration is particularly notable, as it increases state surveillance over private domestic arrangements.
