Uttarakhand HC to hear petitions on Constitutional validity of UCC on November 10

Nainital, Oct 15 (PTI) The Uttarakhand High Court has scheduled a hearing for November 10 on various petitions challenging the constitutional validity and special provisions of the state's Uniform Civil Code (UCC), 2025.

The case was heard by a division bench of Chief Justice G. Narendra and Justice Subhash Upadhyay, with Solicitor Tushar Mehta appearing through video conferencing.

Over half a dozen petitions have been filed in the High Court against various aspects of the UCC.

One petition, filed by Suresh Singh Negi of Bhimtal, challenges provisions related to live-in relationships, arguing that it overlooks the marital customs of communities like Muslims and Parsis.

Negi's petition also highlights a discrepancy, stating that while the minimum age for marriage is 21 for men and 18 for women, the minimum age for a live-in relationship under the UCC is set at 18 years for both parties.

Almasuddin Siddiqui, a Dehradun resident, has also challenged these provisions.

Other petitions focus on the ease of dissolving live-in relationships with a simple written request to the registrar, allowing a 15-day dissolution process, while formal marriages require a judicial process that can take years and include maintenance obligations.

The petitioners argue that this provision could encourage people to opt for live-in relationships over marriage due to the ease of separation.

The court will continue its examination of these petitions on November 10. PTI DPT HIG HIG