After Uttarakhand, Gujarat becomes second State to adopt Uniform Civil Code

The Gujarat Legislative Assembly passed the Gujarat Uniform Civil Code, 2026 by a majority voice vote following a seven-hour debate, making Gujarat the second state in India after Uttarakhand to adopt a unified personal law framework that will govern marriage, divorce, succession, and live-in relationships for all residents regardless of religious identity, with the significant exception of Scheduled Tribe communities whose constitutional customary protections remain intact.

The legislative push came after a state-appointed expert panel submitted its final implementation report, clearing the path for the bill's introduction. The legislation applies not only within Gujarat's territorial boundaries but extends to Gujarat residents living elsewhere in the country, a jurisdictional reach that signals the state's intent to make the code a comprehensive personal law substitute rather than a limited local reform. At its core, the bill standardises the legal architecture governing personal relationships, it mandates registration of live-in relationships and establishes formal procedures for their termination, introduces an absolute prohibition on bigamy by rendering any second marriage void where a living spouse exists, and creates a uniform succession framework cutting across religious lines.

The exclusion of Scheduled Tribe members, whose customary rights enjoy explicit constitutional protection, reflects the legislature's acknowledgment that the code's universality has a constitutionally mandated boundary.

The bill's passage by voice vote after prolonged floor debate reflects both the political consensus behind the measure and the substantive complexity it carries. The Objects and Reasons clause frames the legislation as a step toward legal equality, stating its aim to establish a uniform civil framework applicable irrespective of personal religious law.

As Uttarakhand's experience since February 2024 demonstrated, the translation of UCC legislation from statute to ground-level implementation involves significant administrative machinery, a challenge Gujarat now inherits as it moves toward operationalising the code. The bill has been passed by the Assembly and now awaits gubernatorial assent before it can come into force.