As his government marked four years in power on Friday, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami highlighted the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) as a major achievement. Addressing the media, Dhami called it a “historic step” and reaffirmed his “government’s commitment to the promises made during the last assembly elections.”
“UCC was the resolution of our election. We implemented it within the state,” Dhami told ANI. “Under the leadership of the Prime Minister, we presented our resolution to the people of Uttarakhand. That resolution was accomplished.”
Uttarakhand became the first state in the country to implement the UCC on January 27, 2025. CM Dhami claimed the law has brought significant reforms, particularly for Muslim women. “UCC has freed Muslim sisters from social evils. Now all women will get justice in inheritance and property rights,” he said in a previous speech in May.
Dhami, however, also addressed criticism and alleged attempts to misrepresent the law. “UCC is not against any religion or sect. Many people are creating confusion about it. This is an effort to establish harmony in equality by eradicating the evil practices of society,” he said.
According to Dhami, the public response to UCC has been overwhelmingly positive. He said over 1.5 lakh applications have been submitted since its rollout, covering nearly 98% of villages in the state.
To facilitate implementation, the state has launched a dedicated UCC portal and mobile app. Over 14,000 Common Service Centres (CSCs) have also been integrated to assist citizens at the village level.
The chief minister further noted that land law reforms were being considered to revise restrictions on the sale of agricultural and horticultural land in 11 out of the 13 districts. Currently, Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar are exempt from the stricter provisions.
