Governor Clears Major UCC Amendments Ahead Of First Anniversary In Uttarakhand

Dehradun: As the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) completes one year of implementation in Uttarakhand on January 27, 2026, the state government is set to enforce key amendments to the law after Governor Lt Gen (Retd) Gurmit Singh accorded approval to the proposed changes, sources said on Monday.

The UCC came into force in Uttarakhand on January 27, 2025. Since its implementation, the Uttarakhand government has introduced several amendments to address practical issues and remove procedural shortcomings. The latest set of amendments, proposed by the Department of Religious Affairs and Culture, has now received the Governor’s assent and will be implemented through an ordinance.

According to official sources, an earlier amendment proposal sent to the Lok Bhavan in August 2025 was returned on December 18, 2025, due to technical discrepancies. After rectifying the shortcomings, the revised proposal was placed before the state cabinet on January 15, 2026, which approved the amendments through an ordinance. The proposal was subsequently sent again to the Governor, who cleared it on Monday.

Under the amended provisions, officers of the rank of additional secretary will now be eligible to be appointed as Registrar General under the UCC. Earlier, only officers of secretary rank could hold the post.

Another significant amendment provides that marriages solemnised by concealing one’s identity can now be declared voidable. The process of declaring such marriages voidable will be carried out through the courts.

The amendments also grant sub-registrars the right to file appeals. In addition, the time limit for registration of marriages that took place before January 27, 2025, has been extended from six months to one year.

Further, the term "fine" has been replaced with "penalty" in the UCC rules concerning action against sub-registrars for delays, as fines can only be imposed through judicial proceedings, sources said.

Following the nod from the Governor, the Uttarakhand government has implemented the amended law in the state.

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