The Madhya Pradesh Cabinet on Sunday approved the draft Uniform Civil Code Bill that proposes to ban polygamy and introduce strict provisions for live-in relationships. Adivasi communities have been exempted from the bill.

It is expected to be tabled in the Assembly during the Monsoon Session, which begins on Monday.

The Uniform Civil Code aims to introduce a common set of laws governing marriage, divorce, succession and adoption for all citizens. Currently, such personal affairs of different religions are based on community-specific laws, largely derived from religious scripture.

On Sunday, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said that the objective of the code is to ensure equal rights and justice for all citizens.

Citing suggestions made to the committee drafting the bill, he claimed that more than 80% of Muslim women and 40% of Muslim men had expressed their support for the Uniform Civil Code.

The draft legislation proposes to exclude the Scheduled Tribe communities to protect their “unique cultural heritage and traditional lifestyle”, The Hindu quoted the chief minister as saying.

The bill proposes to ban polygamy and declares practices such as triple talaq and nikah halala as illegal and punishable, the newspaper reported.

It also seeks to make it mandatory for live-in couples to submit an affidavit to the local registrar within a month of entering into such a relationship. Legal...

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