Uttarakhand became the first state in the country to pass a law on Uniform Civil Code. This new UCC bill proposes stiff regulation for live-in relationships.
Key points of the new live-in relationships rules under this proposed law:
- Couples must make mandatory registration of live-in relationships with the registrar.
- If a couple stays in live-in relationship for more than a month without submitting a statement, they could be sent to jail for upto 3 months or fined Rs. 10,000 or both.
- If a couples withhold info or give false statement, they could face jail term for upto 3 months, or a fine of Rs 25,000, or both.
- Those below the age of 21 will have to get parental consent for before applying for registration.
- If a woman gets deserted by her live-in partner, she will be entitled to claim maintenance.
- A child born out of live-in relationship will be declared the legitimate child of the couple and have inheritance right.
- The proposed law will apply to those living in Uttarakhand as well as residents of Uttarakhand living elsewhere in India.
The proposed bill has created uproar, with some supporting it while others questioning why the government wants to wade into live-in relationships but refuses to acknowledge marital rape.
Live-in relationships are currently accounted for only under the Domestic Violence Act, 2005 as “domestic relationships”.