Uttarakhand HC asks State if it is willing to amend Uniform Civil Code

The Uttarakhand High Court has asked the state government if it is ready to make changes to the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), which was recently implemented. The court is hearing multiple petitions challenging different provisions of the UCC, including rules on live-in relationships.

A division bench of Justices Manoj Tiwari and Ashish Naithani raised this question to Solicitor General Tushar Mehta during a hearing. Mehta attended the hearing through video conferencing.

The petitions argue that the registration process for live-in relationships violates privacy. Petitioners claim that the information collected could allow police to interfere in people’s personal lives. The court made it clear that the police, as a government body, should not harass individuals.

Challenges to UCC rules

One of the main issues in the petitions is a rule requiring women to declare their pregnancy status if they want to end a live-in relationship. The petitioners say this rule is unfair and intrusive.

The High Court has combined all UCC-related petitions and scheduled the next hearing for April 1. The court had earlier given the central and state governments six weeks to respond to these concerns.

As the legal battle continues, the court will review the petitions and decide whether the UCC needs modifications. The state government’s response will play a key role in shaping the future of these laws.

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