Uttarakhand Assembly Passes Controversial UCC, Anti-Conversion Bills
The Uttarakhand Assembly passed several significant and controversial bills, including amendments to its Uniform Civil Code that stiffen penalties for illegal live-in relationships. Lawmakers also approved a stricter anti-conversion bill, introducing punishments up to life imprisonment. A new minority education bill was also passed, extending minority status benefits to Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Christian, and Parsi institutions and reforming the recognition process for madrasas, which must now seek affiliation with the state education board.
Unpacked:
The amended Uniform Civil Code in Uttarakhand mandates registration of live-in relationships and introduces penalties for non-compliance, including possible imprisonment and fines. The process is bureaucratic, requiring detailed documentation and a certificate from a religious leader, making violations subject to legal sanction and increasing state oversight over personal relationships.
The anti-conversion bill is controversial because it introduces severe punishments, including up to life imprisonment, for forced or fraudulent religious conversions. Critics argue it could be misused to target religious minorities, suppress individual freedoms, and deter legitimate conversions, raising concerns about religious liberty and potential abuse of the law.
The new minority education bill extends minority status benefits to Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Christian, and Parsi institutions. Madrasas must now seek affiliation with the state education board, which changes their recognition process and subjects them to increased state oversight and standardized regulations.
Scheduled Tribes and certain protected communities are exempt from the Uniform Civil Code in Uttarakhand. This exemption exists because their rights are protected under specific constitutional provisions (Article 336(25) and Part XXI), recognizing the need to preserve their distinct social and cultural practices.