Madhya Pradesh UCC Draft Mandates Live-In Couple Registration, Penalties for Non-Compliance
The Madhya Pradesh government's draft Uniform Civil Code (UCC) proposes mandatory registration for couples in live-in relationships, with failure to do so punishable by up to three months in prison, according to the final report submitted by the committee tasked with drafting the code.
The draft states that couples entering a live-in relationship must register with the registrar of the district where they reside. The registration must also be formally cancelled if the relationship ends. Local police stations will maintain records of all registered live-in couples within their jurisdictions.
Additionally, the draft requires that parents of individuals entering a live-in relationship be informed of their relationship status. It also empowers any person—including a neighbour or landlord—to report an unregistered live-in relationship. Another provision holds that if a man leaves his live-in partner, he is liable to provide maintenance to her.
The proposed UCC also introduces changes to inheritance laws. Currently, a deceased man's property is generally inherited by his wife, children and mother. Under the draft, the father will also become an heir and entitled to a share. The term 'mother' is proposed to be replaced with 'parents', ensuring that if the mother is no longer alive, the father continues to have inheritance rights.
The committee constituted to draft the UCC has submitted its final report to the state government. A special cabinet meeting on the proposed law has been scheduled for July 19, ahead of its introduction in the assembly's monsoon session beginning July 20.
The draft notes that personal and family matters such as marriage, divorce, maintenance, succession and inheritance are currently governed by different personal laws, and there is a need for a uniform and practical legal framework. However, the proposed law will initially not apply to the state's 21% tribal population.
