The Rajasthan Cabinet on Thursday, 13 August approved the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill and the Rajasthan Tree Protection Bill, among several key decisions taken ahead of the anticipated imposition of the Model Code of Conduct for the upcoming panchayat and local body elections. Both Bills are scheduled to be tabled in the Rajasthan Assembly during the session commencing 20 August.

What the UCC Bill Proposes

The proposed Uniform Civil Code seeks to bring marriage, divorce, inheritance, maintenance, and live-in relationships under a single, common legal framework — encapsulating what Cabinet Minister Jogaram Patel described as the principle of 'One State, One Law.' Notably, customs and traditions observed by tribal communities have been kept outside the scope of the proposed legislation.

Under the Bill, marriage registration will be mandatory within 60 days of solemnisation. Registration of divorce will also be compulsory, and parties entering or ending a live-in relationship will be required to submit formal information to the authorities. A fine of ₹10,000 has been proposed for failure to comply with registration requirements.

The proposed UCC will prohibit polygamy — marriage to more than one person at a time — across communities. Simultaneously, it will permit remarriage without restrictions that previously applied under certain personal laws. On inheritance, the Bill seeks to establish equal property rights for sons and daughters across religions. It also proposes that a grandson retains rights to ancestral property in cases where his father dies before his grandfather.

Rajasthan Tree Protection Bill: Key Provisions

The Rajasthan Tree Protection Bill prohibits the felling of 29 specified tree species, including Khejri — revered as the Kalp Vriksh — and Rohida, the state tree of Rajasthan. According to Minister Jogaram Patel, the legislation is intended to protect the environment while respecting the sentiments of spiritual seers and environmentalists.

Felling of protected trees may be permitted in special circumstances, subject to prior approval from the competent authority. Unauthorised felling carries a penalty of up to ₹1 lakh and imprisonment of up to one year. The provisions extend to trees on private land as well, with exclusions specified in the legislation.

Any permission to cut a protected tree will be contingent on compensatory plantation: the applicant must plant 10% more trees than the number felled and maintain them. If the applicant is unable to undertake plantation directly, they must deposit a prescribed amount with the government, which will then fund plantation activities.

Promotion Relaxation for Government Employees

The Cabinet also approved a two-year relaxation in the mandatory service or experience period required for promotion of state government employees and officials. While the relaxation had been announced in the state Budget, the necessary notification could not be issued without formal Cabinet approval. Employees who have not availed of this benefit during the last three years will now be eligible, subject to applicable conditions.

Timing and Political Context

The flurry of approvals comes just ahead of the Model Code of Conduct expected to be imposed for the upcoming panchayat and local body elections in Rajasthan. Once the code kicks in, the government's ability to announce major policy decisions becomes significantly curtailed. This makes the Cabinet's pre-election clearances particularly significant — especially the UCC, which has been a long-standing ideological priority for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Rajasthan would join Uttarakhand as one of the few states to legislate a UCC, should the Assembly pass the Bill.