UCC comes into effect in Uttarakhand: Understand new live-in relationship rules in 7 points

Uttarakhand became the first state in independent India to implement the Uniform Civil Code as it comes into effective from today. The UCC Act, which was notified on March 12, 2024, after presidential assent, will govern laws related to personal civil matters, including marriage, divorce, succession, and inheritance. It makes registration of all marriages and live-in relationships mandatory, and prohibits bigamy or polygamy.

This new law imposes stiff regulation for live-in relationships.

Key points of the new live-in relationships rules under this law:

- Couples must make mandatory registration of live-in relationships with the registrar.

- If a couple stays in live-in relationship for more than a month without submitting a statement, they could be sent to jail for upto 3 months or fined Rs. 10,000 or both.

- If a couples withhold info or give false statement, they could face jail term for upto 3 months, or a fine of Rs 25,000, or both.

- Those below the age of 21 will have to get parental consent for before applying for registration.

- If a woman gets deserted by her live-in partner, she will be entitled to claim maintenance.

- A child born out of live-in relationship will be declared the legitimate child of the couple and have inheritance right.

- The law will apply to those living in Uttarakhand as well as residents of Uttarakhand living elsewhere in India.