REGISTRATION OF LIVE-IN RELATIONSHIP

Recently, Uttarakhand filed a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) bill that requires live-in relationships to be registered within 30 days of the start of the relationship. This move has generated a lot of debate and controversy.

This bill has generated a lot of controversy and debates, garnering support and condemnation from various issues. Concerning private rights, individual freedom of the individuals, and the role of the state in bringing policies for live-in relationships, the Uttarakhand government’s extraordinary turn raises various significant issues.

About Uttarakhand UCC Code

The Uttarakhand government, led by the state’s chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, presented the UCC Bill to the state legislature on Tuesday. In 2022, the state government formed a committee led by former Supreme Court J Ranjana Prakash Desai to work on developing the UCC.
The UCC bill proposes a common law pertaining to inheritance, land, divorce, marriage, and polygamy for all state inhabitants, regardless of religion. It does not include the Scheduled Tribes of Uttarakhand.
The proposed UCC is subjected to establish the uniform civil laws that will be applicable to all communities within the state of Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand UCC Bill: Registration of Live-in Relationships

In accordance with the live-in relationship update in Uttarakhand, people who reside in the State and are in a live-in relationship must give a statement regarding their arrangement to the registrar in charge of that region, as per Section 378 of the Uttarakhand UCC Bill.
The UCC mandates that individuals who are in a live-in relationship register by presenting declarations to the Registrar. On Tuesday, it was presented in the Uttarakhand Assembly. Regulation violations are punishable by a Rs 25,000 fine, three months in jail, or both.
In addition to a three-month jail sentence, anyone who provides misleading data to the Registrar concerning a live-in relationship may be subject to harsher penalties.
The state government may appoint a Registrar to act in the Registrar’s capacity in accordance with the Code by making a notice in the Uttarakhand Gazette.
Documentation of live-in relationships, their termination, and any additional registrations must be kept by the Registrar in the format and frequency that may be determined.

Registrar's Role in Registering Live-In Relationships

The Registrar will examine the data in the Couples’ Statement and conduct a brief inquiry in compliance with Section 381 of the UCC Bill.
In essence, this investigation will look into a number of things, including whether or not one of the couples is married or in a live-in relationship, whether or not one of the partners is a minor, and whether or not consent was granted voluntarily or as a result of identity fraud, coercion, undue influence, or other circumstances.
As per Section 381(3) of the UCC Bill, the registrar may also contact the partners or any other individual for verification. In this case, the appointed registrar must ask the live-in couple or any other individual to produce any additional information or documents in support of the on-going investigation.