Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) would be introduced in all 21 states and Union Territories governed by the BJP-led NDA before the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, setting a broad political timeline for implementing a common framework for personal laws.
Speaking to the media in Mumbai, Shah said the UCC had already been introduced in several states and expressed confidence that the remaining NDA-ruled states would follow suit before the next general election.
According to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, following the abolition of triple talaq to protect Muslim women’s rights, the Uniform Civil Code has been initiated in select states and is slated for rollout across all 21 NDA-governed states ahead of 2029.
The UCC seeks to bring uniformity to personal laws governing matters including marriage, divorce, inheritance and adoption, irrespective of religion. The BJP has long advocated its implementation and included the measure in its 2024 Lok Sabha election manifesto.
At present, Uttarakhand is the only state where a UCC is in force. It implemented the code in January 2025, covering marriage, divorce, inheritance, succession and live-in relationships.
Since then, Gujarat, Assam and Madhya Pradesh have moved towards their own versions of the legislation. Gujarat passed its UCC Bill in March, while Assam cleared its Bill in May. Madhya Pradesh followed in July. The respective laws include provisions relating to marriage, divorce, inheritance and live-in relationships, with some differences in scope.
A key feature of the state-level legislation has been the exclusion of Scheduled Tribes and their customary practices. Shah has maintained that the UCC should not interfere with tribal traditions, customs and personal laws.
Rather than introducing a single Central law applicable nationwide, the NDA’s current approach has been to pursue UCC legislation at the state level. Several other BJP-ruled states, including Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh, have also been examining frameworks for its implementation.
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