Madhya Pradesh Approves UCC Draft Bill with Tribal Exemptions

The Madhya Pradesh Cabinet approved a draft Uniform Civil Code (UCC) bill on Sunday in Jagdishpur, India, and will present it to the State Legislative Assembly during the upcoming monsoon session. A six-member committee led by retired Supreme Court Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai prepared the bill, recommending exemptions for Scheduled Tribes to protect their cultural heritage.

The draft bill aims to prohibit polygamy and illegal practices like nikaha halala across all communities. It mandates the registration of all marriages and divorces through government portals to safeguard women’s rights to alimony and legal protections.

The bill also addresses live-in relationships, requiring couples to register and notify authorities if either partner is under 21. Children born from these relationships will have full inheritance rights, and abandoned partners can seek maintenance. The legislation excludes communities with constitutionally protected traditional rights.