As the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) came into effect in Uttarakhand on January 27, it became the first Indian state to mandate the registration of live-in relationships.
The UCC mandates unmarried couples intending to live together to register their relationship with the state government. As part of the process, the couple needs to submit a host of details including their Aadhaar card, information on past relationships, contact and other information about their residence, and landlord details in case the couple rent a house or an apartment.
Unmarried couples who intend to live together will now need to avail a certificate from a religious leader to ‘confirm’ their eligibility to marry.
The couples (only heterosexual couples are allowed to live together according to Uttarakhand UCC) should register, online or offline, at the commencement and end of their live-in relationships.
Documents required to register include photographs of both man and woman, residential proof, a certificate proving the end of previous relationships, and NOC (No Objection Certificate) from the landlord, among others.
The applicants need to pay a fee of Rs 500 for the registration which would be processed by the registrar, of the respective jurisdictions. The registrar can approve or reject the application within a service timeline of 30 days.
The registrar can also forward the application to the relevant police station for a background check of the couple. If found to be living together without registration they could face penalties including jail up to three months and a fine of up to Rs 25,000.
Under the Uttarakhand UCC, registrars have the authority to issue notice based on complaints lodged by others, over couples living together under suspicion of not registering with the government. Meanwhile, lodging false complaints against couples may end up receiving penalties too.
On January 29, the Rajasthan High Court asked the state government to make it compulsory for couples to sign an agreement. “Though the concept of live-in relationship is considered immoral by the society and the same is not accepted by [the] public at large, it is not treated as illegal in the eyes of the law,” Scroll.in quoted Justice Anoop Kumar Dhand.
UCC in simple terms can be described as ‘one nation, one law’. It is a legal framework that proposes to replace personal laws of different religions regarding marriage, divorce, inheritance or succession and adoption.
It is important to note that, unlike civic and criminal laws which are the same for all citizens, UCC focuses on personal laws as they are governed by various religions.
