President Droupadi Murmu’s assent clears a major constitutional step for Gujarat’s Uniform Civil Code. (Img: X)
New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu on Friday gave assent to the Gujarat Uniform Civil Code Bill, 2026, clearing a major constitutional step for the state’s proposed common civil-law framework. The legislation now awaits rules and a commencement notification from the Gujarat government before it can come into force.
The President’s assent to the Gujarat Uniform Civil Code Bill, 2026 was recorded on September 17, according to the official list of State Bills maintained by Rashtrapati Bhavan. The Gujarat government subsequently published the legislation in the state Gazette on October 1.
The development completes the presidential approval stage for the legislation, but Gujarat’s UCC has not yet become operational. Under the Bill, the state government will determine the date on which the Code comes into force through a notification in the Gazette.
The Gujarat Legislative Assembly passed the UCC Bill on March 24 after a debate lasting more than seven hours. The legislation was subsequently reserved for the President’s consideration before receiving assent in September.
The Bill was introduced by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel following the submission of a report by a committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai. The same former judge had earlier headed the committee associated with Uttarakhand’s UCC.
The legislation seeks to create a common statutory framework covering areas including marriage, divorce, succession and live-in relationships. The Bill also contains provisions concerning matters related to these areas.
Among its provisions, the legislation provides for mandatory marriage registration and addresses polygamy and bigamy. It also establishes provisions relating to dissolution of marriage, succession and the registration and regulation of live-in relationships. Scheduled Tribes have been kept outside the ambit of the legislation.
The Bill faced opposition during its consideration in the Gujarat Assembly. Congress legislators staged a walkout, while Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party sought reference of the legislation to a Select Committee.
Opposition members raised concerns about the proposed framework and its implications for religious communities and tribal populations. The government defended the legislation as a measure aimed at creating greater uniformity in civil matters and strengthening legal equality.
Uttarakhand was the first state in independent India to operationalise a comprehensive state-level Uniform Civil Code. Its UCC came into force in January 2025.
Gujarat’s presidential assent now moves the state closer to implementing its own framework, although the Gujarat government still has to notify the commencement date. This distinction is important: Gujarat has received presidential assent, but it has not yet brought the Code into force.
The Gujarat development has renewed attention on Article 44 of the Constitution, which directs the State to endeavour to secure a Uniform Civil Code for citizens.
The move also comes amid a wider national discussion over UCC legislation, with several states considering or having passed their own state-level frameworks.
The immediate next step rests with the Gujarat government. It will have to formulate the required subordinate rules and issue a Gazette notification specifying when the Code will come into force.
Until that notification is issued, the legislation remains approved but not operational. The implementation stage will therefore determine how its provisions on marriage, divorce, succession and live-in relationships are applied in practice.
