Rajasthan Cabinet Approves UCC and Tree Protection Bills Ahead of Local Polls
The Rajasthan Cabinet on Thursday (August 13, 2026) approved two significant Bills — the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and the Trees (Protection) Bill — ahead of the imposition of the model code of conduct for the upcoming panchayat and local body elections. With this, Rajasthan becomes the fifth Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled State to initiate action for the enactment of a UCC.
Both Bills will be introduced in the Assembly’s monsoon session beginning on August 20, according to Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel. The UCC Bill seeks to provide a uniform legal framework for marriage, divorce, inheritance, maintenance and live-in relationships. The Trees (Protection) Bill proposes special protection for 29 tree species, including khejri, the State tree.
If enacted, the UCC will prohibit polygamy and make registration of marriage and divorce mandatory within 60 days. The inheritance provisions will establish equal property rights for sons and daughters across all religions, irrespective of their personal laws. The Minister said marriages could continue to be solemnised according to religious customs and traditions such as Saptapadi, Nikah, Anand Karaj and Holy Union. The UCC would not be applicable to Scheduled Tribes and classes whose customary rights are protected under the Constitution.
The Bill also proposes registration or written intimation of the commencement and termination of live-in relationships, aimed at protecting the rights of the parties. A priority order has been laid down for succession in cases where a person dies without a will. A grandson will retain rights to property in circumstances where his father dies before his grandfather.
Mr. Patel said a fine of ₹10,000 would be imposed for failure to register a marriage, and ₹25,000 for ignoring a notice in this regard. While laying down a judicial process for resolving matrimonial disputes, the Bill makes provisions for declaring a marriage void on grounds of violation of UCC provisions, consent obtained by coercion or fraud, or impotence.
The State government had formed a high-level committee, headed by former Supreme Court Judge Ranjana Prakash Desai, to draft the legislative framework for the UCC. The committee held division-level public consultations amid protests from the Opposition Congress and civil rights groups, which pointed to the failure to release a draft legislation in the public domain. Minority organisations said the UCC would adversely impact the social fabric and violate the right to practice religion, while civil rights groups accused the BJP government of targeting Muslims after the recent introduction of the anti-conversion law.
Political analysts view the UCC as a key part of the BJP’s ideological agenda, appealing to its support base. The move is seen as aligning with the Centre’s strategy to push issues involving religious identity. Mr. Patel affirmed that the Bill was being brought in the spirit of Article 44 of the Constitution as an “ideal and progressive” law. He said the draft legislation was prepared based on the recommendations of the expert committee to bring uniformity and transparency to laws governing family-related matters.
The UCC initiative follows similar steps in other states. Uttarakhand enacted a UCC law in February 2024, while Gujarat and Assam launched initiatives shortly thereafter. Madhya Pradesh has constituted a committee for the purpose, and West Bengal is also set to table a UCC Bill.
The Trees (Protection) Bill, also approved by the Cabinet, proposes special protection for 29 tree species, including khejri. Further details of the Bill, including penalties for unauthorised felling or damage, were not immediately available.
