Uniform Civil Code bills await President’s nod in Assam, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh | India News

The President is yet to approve the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) bills passed by the state assemblies of Assam, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh earlier this year.On September 13, Union home minister, Amit Shah, promised that all National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ruled states will have a UCC in place before 2029 Lok Sabha elections.Uttarakhand was the first state to implement a state-specific UCC on January 27, 2025, ten months after the President’s approved. In the interregnum it drafted exhaustive rules that defined powers of different set of officials for implementation of the law. The President’s approval of the draft UCC law came 32 days after the bill was passed in the state assembly on February 7, 2024. This year, three Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ruled states, Assam, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh assemblies have approved the UCC bills, similar to the one implemented in Uttarakhand with changes specific state’s tribal communities and customs.Also Read: Bring UCC to Parliament, not BJP-ruled states: Omar to Centre on uniform lawThe Gujarat assembly passed the UCC bill on March 24, 2026, and referred it to governor the following week. “The bill has been reserved and referred to the President by the Governor. We are hopeful that it will be soon approved,” a Gujarat government official said.Soon after coming back to power in this summer assembly polls, the Assam assembly passed the UCC on May 27 with the draft bill prepared in about 10 days. The Assam UCC bill excluded scheduled tribes, which comprise 12.45% of the population in the state. “The bill has been sent for President’s approval. We are waiting for the response,” a senior government official said.In Madhya Pradesh, the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill was passed in the legislative assembly on July 21 and the following day it was sent for President’s approval, according to officials familiar with the matter. “We are waiting for the President’s nod and we are confident of getting the approval soon,” a General Administration Department (GAD) official said.The UCC has long figured in the BJP’s manifesto, making up a troika along with the construction of a Ram Temple in Ayodhya, and the abrogation of Article 370. The other two promises have been fulfilled and the BJP has figured out that getting individual states to pass UCC bills is the way to fulfil the third.Also Read: JD(U) leaders to meet Amit Shah to discuss Uniform Civil CodeHowever, NDA allies such as Janata Dal (United) , the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), and the Lok Janshakti Party, are not very comfortable with the UCC plan.JD (U) working president, Sanjay Jha, on Monday said that the party with speak to home minister Shah on UCC implementation. TDP spokesperson Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu, said the party will discuss the issue with all stakeholders when the time will come. Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) Chirag Paswan said his party was committed to “uniformity and diversity” within Constitutional framework.The BJP’s alliance partners in Nagaland and Meghalaya have opposed UCC’s implementation. In January 2025, Meghalaya chief minister, Conrad Sangama, had said that UCC was neither “appropriate nor practical” for a diverse country like India. He, however, acknowledged that certain aspects of civil laws can be made uniform. Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio had sought exemption for Nagaland from UCC and said in September 2023 that UCC can threaten unique Naga culture and customs.Among other BJP ruled states, the Rajasthan government tabled the UCC Bill in the Assembly on August 21 but it is yet to be taken up for discussion. The Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra governments have constituted expert panels to finalise a state specific UCC draft. Odisha is in the process of constituting a committee to draft a UCC law. West Bengal has announced that it will soon have a law for Uniform Civil Code. The BJP government in Uttar Pradesh has promised UCC if it comes back to power in 2027.