Towards a Gender-Just Uniform Civil Code

Gist The Union government has announced plans to implement a Uniform Civil Code UCC across all 21 NDA-ruled states before the 2029 Lok Sabha elections , utilizing the recently enacted Uttarakhand UCC as a foundational template. However, legal experts argue that the Uttarakhand model conflates legislative uniformity with genuine equality, relying heavily on criminalization, surveillance, and bureaucratic hurdles that disproportionately harm marginalized communities. For civil services aspirants, understanding the functional gaps in this model is crucial for analyzing the transition from disparate personal laws to a genuinely equitable and gender-just common civil code. Background The Uniform Civil Code is a directive principle enshrined in Article 44 of the Constitution, mandating the State to endeavor to secure a uniform set of civil laws governing marriage, divorce, inheritance, and adoption for all citizens, irrespective of religion. Historically, personal matters in India have been governed by religion-specific statutes, such as the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 , and uncodified customary laws, which often contain inherent gender biases regarding inheritance, divorce, and maintenance. The political push for a UCC gained significant momentum following the landmark…