UCC bill: Live-in couples in Uttarakhand must register or face imprisonment

Dehradun: Live-in partners in Uttarakhand will have to register themselves with district officials or face imprisonment under the state's Uniform Civil Code bill, once it becomes a law.

Children born of such relationships will be considered legitimate and deserted women will be entitled to maintenance from their partners. Like marriages, live-in relationships must be registered. Live-in partners must not be under 18.

But if any one of them is under 21, the registrar is bound to inform their parents or guardians, according to the Uniform Civil Code, Uttarakhand, 2024 bill.

The bill which was tabled in the state assembly on Tuesday makes it mandatory for each partner in a live-in relationship to submit a statement to the registrar on their relationship or face a prison term or a fine or both.

Anyone staying in a livein relationship for more than a month without getting it registered will face punishment with an imprisonment up to three months or a fine of up to Rs 10,000 or both, the bill says.

A higher fine of up to Rs 25,000 apart from an imprisonment of up to three months can be imposed on any person who provides false information in his or her statement on a live-in relationship to the registrar.

The bill, which was tabled in the House by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, also makes it obligatory for partners of a live-in relationship within the state, whether they are residents of Uttarakhand or not, to submit a statement of their relationship to the registrar within whose jurisdiction they are living in a prescribed format. (PTI)