In a significant move, the Madhya Pradesh cabinet on Sunday unanimously approved the draft Uniform Civil Code (UCC), 2026, paving the way for its introduction in the legislative assembly during the monsoon session, which begins today.
The UCC proposes to replace religion-based personal laws with a single, common set of civil laws governing marriage, divorce, inheritance and adoption. The bill was prepared on the recommendations of a seven-member panel led by Supreme Court Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai.
The cabinet meeting was chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, who said the UCC was aimed at ensuring equal rights for every citizen.
“Whether Ram or Rahim, the UCC has been brought to ensure equal rights for all,” he told reporters after the meeting.
If the bill is passed, Madhya Pradesh will become the fifth state to implement a Uniform Civil Code, after Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Assam and Goa.
The provisions include a complete ban on polygamy and the controversial triple-talaq and nikah halala practices. All marriages and divorces need to be mandatorily registered. The minimum age for marriage has been fixed as 21 for men and 18 for women.
One of the key highlights of the bill is its conditions for live-in relationships. The minimum age for entering a live-in relationship will be 18; however, if one partner is below the age of 21, their local guardians and the local police will be informed. The relationship is also required to be registered, and failing to do so can result in up to three months of imprisonment or a fine.
A married individual entering a live-in relationship can face up to five years of imprisonment.
The bill removes the term “illegitimate” from the legal framework, giving children born out of marriage, live-in relationships, adoption, surrogacy, and Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) equal status and inheritance rights.
The bill also ensures equal inheritance rights for men and women. Specifically, widows and widowers are both equally entitled to the deceased partner’s property.
However, the state has excluded its large tribal population from the ambit of the bill in order to protect their unique culture and distinct social structure. Those excluded from the bill are Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), who constitute around 21 per cent of the state’s resident population.
