Registration under the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), which was recently implemented in Uttarakhand, does not require state residents to have a domicile or permanent residence certificate. The UCC applies to all persons living in the state for at least one year. Professor Surekha Dangwal, the Vice-Chancellor of the Doon University and a member of the Expert Committee that drafted the Uttarakhand UCC, issued a statement clarifying the residence status required under the UCC on Monday (3rd February).
Professor Dangwal said that the registration under the UCC is for the sole purpose of preserving the demography of the state and enriching the government database. “The provision to include all individuals who have lived in Uttarakhand for at least one year is intended to safeguard the state’s demographic composition,” she said.
Permanent Residence is to be decided as per the previous laws
Professor Dangwal said that the permanent residence will be decided as per previous conditions and the issue has not been dealt with in the UCC. She said the UCC governs matters relating to marriage, divorce, live-in, will and so on. “Apart from this, there are no additional benefits from UCC registration. Permanent residence in Uttarakhand will be decided as per the previous conditions, this subject was not even before the Uniform Civil Code Committee,” Professor Dangwal stated.
“The criteria for permanent residency in Uttarakhand remains unchanged. The aim is to regulate personal laws to ensure that Uttarakhand’s society and culture are preserved, thus securing the demographic structure of the state. Moreover, it will help keep criminal elements in check,” she added.
People who come to Uttarakhand from other states and do not have a permanent residence cannot avail of the benefits of the state government schemes without being registered under the UCC. “Such people will now be able to take advantage of government schemes only after getting registered. If this was applicable only to permanent residents, then many people coming from other states would have been left put its scope, while they would have continued to take advantage of all the government schemes here,” the Professor said.
She said that a person registered under the UCC can have a voter card even if he has a normal residence in any other place.”The registration under the UCC allows a person to make his voter card if he has a normal residence anywhere. Through this, personal laws have been regulated. So that the society and the culture of Uttarakhand can be protected, this will ensure the protection of the demography of Uttarakhand,” Professor Dangwal added.
Details of live-in couples will be protected
Regarding the registration of live-in relationships under the UCC, Professor Dangwal said that the documents submitted for the registration of a live-in relationship under the UCC would be verified only at the registrar’s level. On receiving an application for the registration of a live-in relationship, the registrar will provide an electronic record to the local police station in charge through the District Superintendent of Police (DSP). “Access to this record, including for the local police station officer, will be strictly under the supervision of the District Superintendent of Police,” she said. She added that according to the rules while sharing any information relating to a live-in relationship with the police, the registrar must expressly mention that the information is being provided only for record-keeping purposes.
Online portal for registration under the UCC
The registration portal (ucc.uk.gov.in) for the Uniform Civil Code launched by the Uttarakhand government allows residents to register in both online and offline modes. The online portal provides for registration under nine categories of services including registration of marriage, divorce, termination of live-in relationships, and filing appeals and complaints regarding grievances and issues related to the processing of documents or disputes. For online registration, an Aadhar verification through an OTP will be conducted while the offline registration can be done through an OTP verification of phone number.
