On Sunday, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that since the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) on Jan. 27, 2025, the state has received over 1.5 lakh applications through the dedicated UCC portal.

These applications have come from nearly 98 percent of the state’s villages, highlighting widespread public support for this landmark legal reform, reported ANI, citing the CM.

The Chief Minister said that a system has been developed to manage the implementation of the UCC. This includes an auto-escalation and grievance redressal mechanism to address any issues that may arise during registration.

The government launched a UCC portal and mobile application aimed at simplifying the registration process for citizens. 

Over 14,000 Common Service Centres (CSCs) at the village level have been integrated into the system, ensuring that residents across the state can avail themselves of the benefits without hassle, the report noted.

The implementation of the UCC in Uttarakhand marked a historic first in India, making it the pioneer state to bring Article 44 of the Constitution — which envisions a common set of civil laws for all citizens — into practical effect.

Under the UCC, the state aims to eliminate legal discrimination based on religion, caste, and gender, ensuring equal rights for all citizens. Among the key provisions are the prohibition of regressive practices such as halala, iddat, polygamy, child marriage, and triple talaq.

The law also guarantees equal inheritance rights for daughters and children from all types of relationships, including live-in partnerships and assisted reproductive methods. Importantly, Scheduled Tribes in Uttarakhand are exempted from the UCC to preserve their traditional customs and practices.

The main opposition to the UCC centers on concerns that it infringes on constitutional freedoms protecting religious practices and personal laws, as guaranteed by Articles 25 and 29. Critics argue that since civil and criminal laws already vary across states, enforcing a uniform code on personal laws is inconsistent.

There is also fear that the UCC will impose Hindu customs on all communities, especially in areas like property inheritance.

The UCC could significantly change Muslim Personal Law, including banning polygamy, which has sparked opposition from groups like All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), whose leader Asaduddin Owaisi called the UCC unnecessary, reported Business Standard in 2023.

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