Assam Ucc 2026 The Special Rights Of Polygamy Under The Muslim Personal Law Will Be Abolished

Fulfilling another of its big and important election promises, the BJP government of Assam has introduced ‘Assam Uniform Civil Code Bill 2026’ in the state assembly. After the implementation of this law, all personal laws based on religion and belief will be completely abolished in the state and in their place a uniform legal framework will be applicable for all citizens regarding marriage, divorce, inheritance, division of property and live-in relationships.

According to the state government, the main objective of this law is to implement Uniform Civil Code under the Directive Principles of the Indian Constitution and to promote gender equality and neutrality in the society.

Scheduled Tribes (ST) exempted from law

The proposed Assam UCC law will be applicable to all residents of the state, including Assamese citizens living outside the state. However, respecting the provisions of the Indian Constitution, the original Scheduled Tribes of Assam have been completely kept out of the scope of this law. According to the draft of the Bill, none of the rules of this Code will apply to members of any Scheduled Tribe covered under clause (25) of Article 366 and Article 342 of the Indian Constitution.

Major changes related to marriage and divorce: Complete ban on polygamy

Assam UCC Bill 2026 prescribes very stringent and reformative rules under the ‘Marriage and Divorce’ section. For marriage, it is mandatory for the male to be above 21 years of age and the female to be above 18 years of age. Only one marriage will be permitted by law. That is, at the time of marriage, neither of the parties should already have a living spouse (husband or wife).

This law is being strongly opposed by Assam Muslims, some Islamic organizations across the country and their political allies. The main reason for this is that this law completely restricts the right of Muslims to have four wives simultaneously (polygamy) based on the texts of their Arabic culture. After the implementation of UCC, this special right will be taken away from the Muslim community, which the government considers necessary for demographic balance and women’s rights.

Polygamous marriages that took place before the implementation of UCC can be registered under special rules, but after the implementation of the law, no one will be allowed to marry again.

UCC will not interfere in the marriage practices of any religion. Citizens can marry through their respective religious and traditional ceremonies such as Saptapadi (Hindu Vedic marriage), Nikah (Muslim marriage), Anand Karaj (Sikh marriage), Ahom Chaklong marriage or Holi Union etc.

Compulsory registration of marriage

The biggest administrative reform of the Assam UCC bill is the mandatory registration of marriages. Under the new rules, it will be mandatory to register all new marriages taking place in the state within 60 days. If the marriage takes place outside Assam, a grace period of 90 days will be given. All marriages taking place between October 25, 2024 and the date of implementation of this law will also have to be registered within 6 months.

Muslim marriages already registered under the Assam Act of 2024 will automatically be considered registered after the implementation of the UCC.

Non-registration of marriage, giving false statement or forgery is punishable with a fine ranging from ₹10,000 to ₹25,000 and/or a jail sentence of up to 3 months. However, lack of registration will not make the marriage illegal, but legal action will definitely be taken. Government and private employers have been instructed to check the marriage certificate issued by the sub-registrar before changing the marital status in the records.

Religious laws ended:

The Assam UCC has replaced Hindu, Muslim and Christian personal laws with a common law in matters of succession and inheritance.

If a person dies without making a Will, then as per the rules following Section 55, his property will be distributed equally among the ‘Class-1’ heirs rather than according to religious preferences. Class-1 will include the spouse of the deceased, children and surviving children of previously deceased children. If there are no Class-1 heirs, then the property will pass respectively to Class-2, Class-3 relatives and finally in the absence of any close relative, the entire property will pass into government ownership under the principle of ‘escheat’.

Property rights in this law have been made completely gender neutral. Sons and daughters, legitimate and illegitimate children, adopted children or children born through surrogacy will get equal legal rights in the property of a person who dies without a will.

If a person, out of greed for property, has murdered the original owner or hatched a conspiracy to murder him, he will be completely disqualified from the right to inheritance. Furthermore, in specific cases if a widow or widower remarries during the lifetime of the original person, he or she will lose the right to the property. However, no one can be disqualified on the basis of any disease, physical defect or deformity.

Now any citizen can bequeath his entire property to anyone without any religious restriction or limit. However, some close relatives who are entitled to maintenance will not be completely disinherited.

Recognition of live-in relationship: but registration is also necessary

Taking another historic step, Live-in Relationship has been given legal recognition in Assam UCC Bill 2026, but along with it some very strict rules have also been added.

Live-in couples must submit a joint “statement of live-in relationship” to the sub-registrar. It will be registered only after a brief check by the Registrar. Registered live-in partners will have the right to maintenance, the right to a shared home and full legal rights to children born out of this relationship. If both the partners want to separate, they have to file a statement of termination of relationship with the registrar. A provision of 3 months jail and fine has been made for not registering a live-in relationship or giving wrong information.

The Assam Uniform Civil Code 2026 brings all citizens on a level playing field on sensitive issues like marriage, divorce and property by removing religious disparities. This law ensures complete uniformity in legal rights and social obligations while maintaining individual freedom of ritual and belief, thereby making all citizens of Assam (except Scheduled Tribes) truly equal before the law.

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