Assam's Himanta Sarma govt to present Uniform Civil Code Bill in Assembly on 26 May—who are exempted from UCC?

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on Wednesday that the state administration will present the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill in the Assembly on 26 May, the concluding day of the newly elected House's inaugural session.

Speaking to reporters following the new government’s first Cabinet assembly, Sarma confirmed that the draft UCC received Cabinet approval and will be introduced during the upcoming session set for May 21, 22, 25, and 26. He noted that the session will include the swearing-in of new MLAs and the Governor’s formal address.

"The Assam Cabinet has decided to introduce the UCC Bill on the last day of the Assembly session on 26 May. The state Cabinet has approved the draft of the UCC," the Chief Minister said.

Sarma explained that the proposed legislation addresses matters of succession, matrimony, cohabitation, mandatory marriage registration, and divorce. The framework will largely mirror models established in Gujarat, Uttarakhand, and Goa. Furthermore, Sarma stated that the Cabinet has officially adopted the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) election manifesto as the primary policy roadmap for the next five years.

"Basically, the UCC will deal with the succession of marriage, live-in relationship and compulsory registration of marriage, including divorce. It will be almost in sync with Gujarat, Uttarakhand and Goa. However, we have completely exempted the tribal population and customs, rituals, and traditions of Assam. Because we have different communities, different customs," CM Sarma added.

The Chief Minister noted that the new Assembly's opening session would prioritise the oath-taking ceremony for legislators. The administration has also requested the Governor to designate veteran BJP leader Chandra Mohan Patowary as the Protem Speaker. Sarma mentioned that the Cabinet will expand following the legislative session, noting that specific ministerial portfolios are still pending announcement.

"After the oath-taking of the newly elected members, an election for the Speaker's post will be held. From the NDA, we have announced Ranjeet Kumar Dass as our candidate for the Speaker's post," he said.

The Uniform Civil Code is a legislative proposal intended to replace various personal laws rooted in religion or tradition with a unified legal code applicable to all citizens, regardless of their faith, caste, orientation, or gender.

Following the inaugural cabinet meeting of his second term, Sarma emphasised at a press briefing that rigorous monitoring and the total sealing of the India-Bangladesh border are essential for regional safety. He pointed out that while many groups in Assam advocate for sealing the state's specific border, such efforts are ineffective if the West Bengal stretch remains open.

"Our fight against infiltration always faced a problem because there was a huge gap in fencing between Bangladesh and West Bengal," he claimed.

Sarma noted that five states—Mizoram, Tripura, Meghalaya, Assam, and West Bengal—border Bangladesh. Among them, Assam manages the shortest section, whereas West Bengal shares the most extensive boundary with the neighbouring nation.

"This was our issue for long, but on Monday, the West Bengal Cabinet has taken a very significant decision that within 45 days BSF will be given land so that India-Bangladesh border can be completely secured and fencing can be erected in a stretch of 800 km,'' Sarma said.