President of India last month granted assent to The Gujarat Uniform Civil Code Bill 2026, which was passed by the Gujarat Assembly earlier in March.

As per the website of Rashtrapati Bhavan, the date on which the President of India Draupadi Murmu gave assent to the Bill was September 17.

The Assembly had in March passed the Bill with a majority voice vote after a marathon debate lasting over seven hours. Gujarat became the second state in the country, after Uttarakhand, to adopt the UCC/

The Act proposes a common legal framework to govern and regulate the laws relating to marriage and divorce, succession, live-in relationship and matters related thereto.The bill was tabled after a state-appointed panel submitted its final report on the implementation of the UCC.

The Law will apply throughout the state and to residents of Gujarat living outside its territorial limits. However, it specifies that the code will not apply to members of Scheduled Tribes (ST) and certain groups whose customary rights are protected under the Constitution.

The “Objects and Reasons” states that the code aims to create a uniform legal framework. Among its provisions, the law includes registration of live-in relationships and formal processes for their termination.

Marriage, Divorce

For non-registration of divorce and marriage, the Code states that if parties fail to register marriage, divorce or nullity of marriage with the Registrar on being required by a notice to do so under Section 18 (1), such persons shall upon conviction, be punishable with fine not exceeding Rs. 25,000.

Section 37 states that notwithstanding the fact that a marriage has been declared null and void, any child of such marriage shall be deemed to be legitimate.

Section 4 states the conditions for a valid marriage which are:

(1) neither party has a spouse living at the time of the marriage;

(2) at the time of the marriage, neither party –

(a) is incapable of giving valid consent in consequence of unsoundness of mind; or

(b) though capable of giving valid consent, has been suffering from a mental disorder of such a kind or to such an extent so as to be unfit for marriage; or

(c) has been subject to recurrent attacks of insanity;

(3) the man has completed the age of twenty-one years and the woman the age of eighteen years;

(4) the parties are not within the degrees of prohibited relationship, unless the custom and usage governing at least one of them permits marriage between the two;

(5) the marriage is not prohibited under any law in force.

As per Section a marriage may be solemnized/contracted between a man and a woman in accordance with their customary practices, religious beliefs, ceremonies, rites and rituals, including but not limited to “Saptapadi”, “Ashirvad”, “Nikah”, “Holy Union”, “Anand Karaj” “Arya Samaji Vedic Vidhi”, “Nissuin” (jewish wedding ceremony) and “Mangal Fera”.

While Code calls for registration of marriage, it however also states in Section 20 no marriage shall be deemed to be invalid solely by reason of the fact that it was not registered under Part 1 of the Code, or that the memorandum was not delivered to the Registrar or that the certificate of marriage was not issued by the Registrar or that the particulars in such memorandum or certificate of marriage were defective, irregular or incorrect.

Any person who wilfully omits or neglects to deliver the memorandum (couple getting married after enactment of Code where atleast one party is a resident of the State are to give a memorandum within 60 days from the date of marriage), in a case where it is compulsory to do so under section 10 or section 11, shall be liable to pay penalty not exceeding Rs. 10,000, as may be imposed by the Registrar.

Live-In Relationship

Section 385 states that any child of a live-in relationship shall be a legitimate child of the couple.

With respect to Live-in relationships the Code states that whoever stays in a live-in relationship for more than one month from the date of entering into such relationship without submitting the statement of such relationship under Section 387(1) (Procedure for registration of live-in relationship) shall, on conviction, be punishable by a Judicial Magistrate with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months or with fine not exceeding Rs. 10,000 or with both.

Further any person who makes any averment in the statement of live-in relationship submitted under Section 387(1) "which is false" and which she/he knows or has reason to believe to be false, or withholds any material fact therefrom affecting the decision of the Registrar whether to register such live-in relationship or refuse to do so, shall, on conviction, be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months, or with fine not exceeding Rs. 25,000 or with both.

Any partner to a live-in relationship who fails to submit the statement of live-in relationship on being required by a notice to do so under section 392 (Notice for registration of live-in relationship) shall, on conviction, be punishable by a Judicial Magistrate with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months or with fine not exceeding Rs. 25,000 or with both.

Whoever obtains the consent of any person by force, coercion or fraud to establish a live-in relationship shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 5 years and shall also be liable to fine.

Further if any major person who lives in a live-in relationship with minor in contravention of Section 386 (3) (prohibits live-in with minor) shall be punishable according to the provisions contained in the POCSO Act.

Further if a woman gets deserted by her live-in partner, she shall be entitled to claim maintenance from her live-in partner for which she may approach the competent court having jurisdiction over the place where they last cohabited.