On Wednesday, Uttarakhand introduced rules for marriage registration under the Uniform Civil Code. These rules provide clear legal guidelines for marital conditions, ensure the protection of individual rights, and promote social harmony, according to an official statement.

The state administration claims that this law is applicable throughout the state of Uttarakhand and also to state citizens who reside outside of the state. Uttarakhand is the first Indian state to adopt a Uniform Civil Code (UCC), which aims to harmonise and streamline personal rules pertaining to inheritance, succession, marriage, and divorce. The UCC is applicable to all residents of Uttarakhand, except for Scheduled Tribes and those protected or empowered by specific authorities and communities. The Scheduled Tribes (ST) announced under Articles 342 and 366 (25) of the Constitution are not covered by this Act, and groups and individuals with protected authority under Part XXI are likewise not covered. 

According to the statement, the Uniform Civil Code Act, 2024 of Uttarakhand, provides a public welfare system that promotes the preservation of individual rights and social peace in order to simplify and expedite the legal procedures associated with marriage. Marriage can only take place if neither person has a living spouse, both are mentally capable of giving consent, the man is at least 21 years old, the woman is at least 18 years old, and they are not related in a way that makes the marriage legally prohibited. Legal requirements or religious practices allow for any kind of marriage ceremony, although marriages consummated after the Act's introduction must be registered within 60 days. Marriages that took place between March 26, 2010 and the date the Act was implemented must be registered within six months. If a marriage is already registered according to the prescribed standards, there is no need to register again, but the earlier registration must be acknowledged.

For marriages solemnised before March 26, 2010, or outside Uttarakhand, if both parties have been living together since then and meet all legal eligibility criteria, they can choose to register their marriage within six months of the Act coming into effect. However, this is optional, not mandatory, as stated in an official statement. The process of accepting and acknowledging marriage registration applications needs to be completed quickly. Once an application is submitted, the sub-registrar must make a decision within 15 days. As per the statement, if no decision is made within the 15-day time frame, the application for marriage registration will automatically be forwarded to the registrar. Similarly, for acknowledgements, the application will be automatically considered accepted after 15 days.

If the registration application is denied, there is also a clear appeals procedure accessible. Under the Act, providing false information for registration carries a penalty, and it has been made clear that a marriage would not be deemed void for simply not registering. There are two ways to register: online and offline. To implement these provisions, the state government will appoint a Registrar General, along with Registration and Sub-Registrar officials, who will be responsible for maintaining and monitoring the relevant records. The Act also specifies who is eligible to marry, how marriages should be conducted, and outlines clear procedures for legally recognising both new and existing marriages, the statement added.