The Chief Minister's Office of Assam announced on Tuesday, 26 May 2026 that the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill has been tabled in the Assam Legislative Assembly, describing the move as 'a historic step towards equality and legal uniformity.' The tabling makes Assam the second Indian state after Uttarakhand to formally introduce UCC legislation in its legislature.

Context

The UCC Bill was introduced during the ongoing session of the Assam Legislative Assembly, on Day 3 of the session. The official post from the Chief Minister's Office framed the legislation as a step toward equality, signalling the Bharatiya Janata Party-led state government's intent to replace religion-specific personal laws with a uniform statute governing marriage, divorce, inheritance, and adoption. Opposition parties have sought wider consultation before the bill is taken up for debate.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who has led the BJP government in Assam since 2021, has been a vocal advocate of the UCC. The bill's tabling translates a long-standing electoral promise into a legislative reality for the state.

Policy Backdrop

Article 44 of the Indian Constitution, a Directive Principle of State Policy, has since 1950 directed the State to secure a Uniform Civil Code for citizens. For decades the provision remained aspirational, with Goa standing as India's only de facto uniform personal law regime, inherited from its Portuguese-era civil code after integration in 1961.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019 — which criminalised instant triple talaq — marked an early legislative move toward gender-equal personal laws at the national level. Uttarakhand then enacted India's first state-level UCC law in early 2024, paving the procedural path that Assam is now following. Similar preparatory exercises have been announced in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.

Stakeholders and Impact

Proponents argue the legislation will bring legal parity to women across all religious communities by replacing personal laws that critics say treat women unequally in matters of divorce, inheritance, and guardianship. Religious community organisations and civil society groups are expected to scrutinise the bill's specific provisions closely once the text is made public.

Opposition parties in the Assembly have demanded broader consultation — including with religious and tribal communities — before the bill proceeds to a vote. Tribal groups in Assam and the broader Northeast have historically sought exemptions from uniform civil legislation, citing the protection of customary laws under the Constitution's Sixth Schedule.

What's Next

The bill is expected to be taken up for clause-by-clause debate in the ongoing Assembly session. Legal experts and opposition members may push for referral to a select committee or an all-party consultation panel. Should the bill be passed, challenges before the Gauhati High Court or the Supreme Court of India are widely anticipated from multiple stakeholders.

Assam's move will add pressure on other BJP-governed states that have signalled intent to enact similar legislation, potentially accelerating the national conversation around a central UCC framework ahead of future electoral cycles.