The Chief Minister's Office of Uttarakhand announced on Sunday, 14 June 2026 that the Devbhoomi Parivar Kanoon (Devbhoomi Family Law) has come into force in the state after receiving the Governor's formal assent, marking a significant legislative milestone for the Himalayan state.

Context

The CMO's post stated: 'Uttarakhand mein Devbhoomi Parivar Kanoon hua laagu, Rajyapal ne di manjuri' — ('The Devbhoomi Family Law has been enacted in Uttarakhand; the Governor has given approval'). The Governor of Uttarakhand, acting as the constitutional authority under the Indian Constitution, granted assent to the legislation, clearing the final procedural hurdle for its enforcement across the state.

Uttarakhand, officially referred to as Devbhoomi (Land of the Gods), is a northern Himalayan state formed in 2000. The state government under Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has pursued an active legislative agenda on social and family-related matters in recent years.

Policy Backdrop

Uttarakhand has been at the forefront of state-level family law reform. In February 2024, the state became the first in India since independence to pass a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill at the assembly level — a landmark that drew national attention and positioned the state as a test case for codified personal law reform.

The Devbhoomi Parivar Kanoon is the latest in a series of legislative steps the state has taken to shape family governance within its jurisdiction. Indian states periodically enact or amend family-related statutes after legislative passage and gubernatorial assent, sometimes aligning with and sometimes diverging from central civil code frameworks.

Stakeholders and Impact

The law directly affects families and residents of Uttarakhand, who will now be subject to its provisions. The state government has framed such legislation within a broader agenda of preserving the demographic and cultural characteristics of the Himalayan region.

Civil society groups, legal practitioners, and community organisations across the state are expected to study the gazette notification closely once it is published, as it will detail the rules and enforcement mechanisms that give the law operational effect.

What's Next

The immediate next step is the publication of the official gazette notification laying out the rules, definitions, and implementation framework of the Devbhoomi Parivar Kanoon. Legal observers will watch for any petitions that may be filed before the Uttarakhand High Court or the Supreme Court of India challenging or seeking clarification on the law's provisions.

With the Governor's assent now secured, the state administration is expected to move swiftly toward operationalising the legislation, adding another chapter to Uttarakhand's growing record of state-initiated family law reform that continues to be watched closely across the country.