Madhya Pradesh UCC Bill: strict rules, jail term on live-in relations
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Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh government has introduced its Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill in the state Assembly, proposing strict regulations on live-in relationships and introducing common rules on marriage, divorce, inheritance and adoption.
The Bill proposes mandatory registration of live-in relationships within one month of their commencement. Couples failing to register such relationships could face imprisonment of up to three months. Children born from live-in relationships will be granted legal status, while a woman deserted by her live-in partner will have the right to seek maintenance similar to provisions applicable in marriages.
The Bill proposes a ban on polygamy, triple talaq and nikah halala, while making monogamy compulsory for all communities. It also makes registration of marriages and divorces mandatory. The proposed law provides equal legal protection and inheritance rights to children born through marriage, adoption and surrogacy. However, its provisions will not apply to Scheduled Tribe communities.
The draft was prepared by a committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said the state studied the UCC models of Uttarakhand, Gujarat and Assam before preparing the legislation.
The Bill was introduced on the first day of the Assembly’s monsoon session. Speaker Narendra Singh Tomar announced that discussion on the legislation would take place after proceedings were disrupted by Congress protests over allegations involving Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and his family’s land dealings.