UCC draft proposes compulsory live-in relationship registration:Congress questions social acceptance; draft proposes inheritance rights for children

Following the model adopted by Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh has accelerated efforts to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC). The draft legislation is now in its final stages, and Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav has indicated that the government may introduce and seek passage of the landmark Bill during the upcoming Monsoon Session of the Assembly. A seven-member committee headed by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai has prepared the preliminary draft. To gather public feedback, committee members are holding consultations across districts while also seeking online responses to a 12-question survey. Four key pillars of the proposed law The proposed UCC in Madhya Pradesh is expected to focus on four major areas: The government says the objective is to eliminate legal complications arising from different personal laws and establish a uniform legal framework for family matters. Mandatory registration proposed for live-in relationships One of the most significant provisions in the draft concerns live-in relationships. The government proposes mandatory registration or declaration of live-in relationships, similar to the system introduced in Uttarakhand. The draft also seeks to provide legal and financial protection to women in such relationships, including maintenance rights in case of separation. Importantly, children born from registered live-in relationships would receive full legal recognition, including biological inheritance rights over their parents’ property and entitlement to maintenance, ensuring they are not treated as illegitimate under the law. Gender-neutral and religion-neutral family laws The proposed legislation aims to establish equal family laws across communities, ensuring the same legal rights and obligations for men and women regardless of religion. Women would receive equal property and inheritance rights, while discriminatory or unilateral divorce provisions would be replaced by a uniform system. Any divorce would require mandatory registration through a government portal or court to be legally valid, and maintenance rules for women and children would apply uniformly across religions. Personal laws may be replaced by common legal framework Under the proposal, religion-specific personal laws governing matters such as marriage, adoption and inheritance would be superseded by a common legal framework. The draft seeks to balance constitutional guarantees of religious freedom with the principles of equality before the law and the Directive Principles of State Policy that encourage the adoption of a Uniform Civil Code. Congress questions live-in provisions and tribal exemption The proposal has triggered political debate in the state. Congress MLA Arif Masood questioned whether Indian society would accept legal recognition of live-in relationships and argued that such arrangements are not part of the country’s traditional social fabric. He also raised concerns over the reported exclusion of tribal communities from the proposed law, asking how it could be described as a “Uniform” Civil Code if it does not apply equally to everyone. Chief Minister signals firm commitment Despite political criticism, Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav has reiterated the government’s commitment to the initiative. Speaking to the media at the Assembly premises, he said the government plans to bring several contemporary issues before the House during the Monsoon Session and that the Uniform Civil Code could be one of them. He expressed confidence that, with the blessings of Lord Mahakal, the legislation could be passed during the session itself, indicating that the government is determined to move forward with the reform.