Himanta Biswa Sarma-Led Assam Cabinet Approves UCC Draft: Polygamy To Legal Age For Marriage, How Is Bill Different From Other States?

Last Updated:May 13, 2026, 18:56 IST

The state government announced that the bill will be introduced in the Assam Legislative Assembly on May 26

The Assam state cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, officially approved the draft of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill on May 13. The state government announced that the bill will be introduced in the Assam Legislative Assembly on May 26, which marks the final day of the upcoming special legislative session.

Here’s all you need to know:

What are the core provisions?

The bill seeks to replace religion-based personal laws with a unified legal framework governing marriage, divorce, inheritance, and adoption. However, according to announcements by the Assam Government, it includes distinct state-centric changes:

Indigenous tribal communities and regions protected under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution are completely excluded from the ambit of the law to safeguard their traditional practices. The bill ensures that the uniform structure does not overwrite the distinct customary, marriage, and ancestral traditions of Scheduled Tribes.

The bill harmonises the previously cleared Assam Prohibition of Polygamy Bill, 2025 into its structure. While states like Uttarakhand framed polygamy as a civil wrong, Assam aims to implement strict criminal penalties. Entering into a subsequent marriage while a first spouse is alive is a criminal offense punishable by up to 7 years of imprisonment.

Hiding a prior active marriage to secure a second marriage raises the penalty up to 10 years of imprisonment. Village heads, religious officials (qazis), or guardians who knowingly execute or facilitate polygamous unions face up to 2 years in jail and severe monetary fines.

Individuals convicted under the anti-polygamy provisions are barred from public employment, local body elections, and state welfare schemes.

The state intends to raise the minimum legal marriage age for women to 21 years to boost health and empowerment. This mandate matches the legal age requirement for men to improve health outcomes and women’s empowerment.

The bill replaces traditional personal law registries with mandatory government-monitored civil registration for all marriages, divorces, and separations. Practices such as Nikah Halala and Muta (temporary marriage) are legally nullified and banned.

Similar to other state variants, the code features strict, compulsory registration guidelines for couples in live-in relationships to safeguard individuals from exploitation.

Parental property inheritance rights are fully standardized, ensuring that daughters, wives, and mothers receive equal portions of succession regardless of religious affiliations or ancestral personal laws.

Which other states have a UCC?

Goa and Uttarakhand are the only other Indian states with a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in active force. Goa operates under a colonial-era legacy framework, while Uttarakhand enacted modern post-independence legislation.

How is Assam’s UCC different from other states?

Assam stands distinct by demanding that women reach 21 years of age to legally wed, whereas Goa and Uttarakhand maintain the standard 18-year threshold.

If a person commits polygamy in Uttarakhand, the second marriage is legally voided under civil parameters. In Assam, the state actively pursues criminal prosecution with long-term prison terms for both the offenders and religious facilitators.

Because of its demographic layout, Assam’s draft explicitly respects the autonomous administrative boundaries established by the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, insulating local tribal customs far more deeply than the basic exemptions found in Uttarakhand.

News india Himanta Biswa Sarma-Led Assam Cabinet Approves UCC Draft: Polygamy To Legal Age For Marriage, How Is Bill Different From Other States?

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