Dehradun: Prof. Surekha Dangwal, a member of the expert committee that drafted the Uttarakhand Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and Vice-Chancellor of Doon University, has clarified that UCC registration has no connection with the Domicile or Permanent Residence Certificate of Uttarakhand.
Instead, the primary aim of UCC registration is to preserve the demography of Uttarakhand by including all people living in the state for at least one year.
Permanent residence was never under the purview of the Uniform Civil Code Committee
In a statement about UCC provisions, Prof. Dangwal explained that the UCC covers services like marriage, divorce, live-in relationships, and wills. It cannot be linked to permanent residence or domicile status in any way. Additionally, there are no extra benefits from UCC registration. Permanent residence in Uttarakhand will continue to be determined by the previous conditions and was never under the purview of the Uniform Civil Code Committee.
The purpose of UCC is to regulate personal laws
Prof. Dangwal compared UCC registration to obtaining a voter card with a normal residence anywhere. She explained that the purpose of UCC is to regulate personal laws, ensuring the protection of Uttarakhand’s society and culture. This will also help maintain the state’s demographic balance and control people with criminal tendencies.
Many people from other states get benefits from government schemes in Uttarakhand
Prof. Dangwal pointed out that many people from other states live in Uttarakhand and benefit from government schemes. Under the new system, such individuals will need to register under UCC to continue availing these benefits. If UCC registration were limited to permanent residents only, many people from other states would be excluded, despite benefiting from Uttarakhand’s government schemes.
UCC registration aims to enrich the government’s database
Furthermore, Uttarakhand currently lacks detailed information on the marriages, divorces, and live-in relationships of people living in the state. UCC registration aims to enrich the government’s database and offer registration facilities to all residents, which will ultimately strengthen the institution of marriage, a cornerstone of societal prosperity.
According to Prof. Dangwal, this initiative will help protect and preserve the demography and cultural heritage of Uttarakhand while ensuring that the state’s administrative and legal systems are more robust and comprehensive.
