Declare live-in relationships or face jail up to 6 months, states Uttarakhand Uniform Civil Code

The bill proposes that anyone who is entering into a live-in relationship within the state, irrespective of whether they are residents of Uttarakhand or not, will have to submit a statement of their live-in relationship.

The bill under Part 3 ‘Submission of statement by partners to a live-in relationship’ says:

1. It shall be obligatory for partners to a live-in relationship within the State, whether they are residents of Uttarakhand or not, to submit a statement of live-in relationship under sub-section (1) of section 381 to the Registrar within whose jurisdiction they are so living.
2. Any resident(s) of Uttarakhand staying in a live-in relationship outside the territory of the State may submit a statement of live-in relationship under sub-section (1) of section 381 to the Registrar within whose jurisdiction such resident(s) ordinarily resides.

Children in a live-in relationship

According to the UCC, any child of a live-in relationship shall be a legitimate child of the couple.

When not to register a live-in relationship?

A live-in relationship between two persons shall not be registered:

1. Where the partners are within the degrees of prohibited relationship as defined under clause (d) of sub-section (1) of section 3.
2. Provided that the prohibitions will not apply to person(s) whose customs and usage permit the relationship, if it were a marriage;
3. Provided further that such customs and usage are not against the public policy and morality, or,
4. Where at Ieast one of the persons is married or is already in a live-in relationship: or,
5. Where at least one of the persons is a minor: or,
6. Where the consent of one of the partners was obtained by force, coercion, undue influence, misrepresentation or fraud as to any material fact or circumstance concerning the other partner, including his-her identity.