The Assam Cabinet on Wednesday approved the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the state, but the tribal population will be kept outside its purview, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

The UCC Bill will be laid before the new legislative assembly on May 26, the chief minister said at a press conference here after chairing the first cabinet meeting of his second term as the head of the government.

"This is a major decision taken in the first cabinet meeting and aligns with the commitment we made during the elections," he said.

Sarma said Uttarakhand, Goa and Gujarat have already implemented the UCC, but his government has customised it for the requirements of Assam.

''We have completely exempted the tribal population from the purview of UCC. All rituals, traditions and customs practised by the people of Assam outside the scope of UCC,'' he said.

The UCC will deal with succession, marriage, live-in relationships and compulsory registration of marriage and divorce, he added.

Union home minister Amit Shah, on April 10, promised its implementation in Bengal within six months if the BJP forms the government, so that "there is one law in Bengal for every citizen."

"Several BJP-ruled states have implemented the Uniform Civil Code. Within six months, we will implement the UCC in Bengal and ensure that a single, uniform set of laws applies to all citizens across the state," he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Shah made these remarks while releasing the party’s manifesto, “Sankalp Patra”, for the Bengal Assembly elections held on April 23 and 29 this year.

So far, Uttarakhand and Gujarat have enacted UCC laws in recent years.

Uttarakhand became the first state in India to pass the legislation in February 2024, with the law coming into force a year later, on January 27, 2025.

According to chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, the move was aimed at ensuring equality across communities. “UCC will bring uniformity in society and ensure equal rights and responsibilities for all citizens,” he said while announcing its rollout.

The Uttarakhand law standardises personal civil matters by mandating registration of marriages and live-in relationships, banning practices such as polygamy and triple talaq, and ensuring equal inheritance rights. It, however, excludes certain tribal communities, reflecting the legal complexities surrounding uniformity.

Gujarat followed next, with the Assembly passing the UCC Bill in March this year. The legislation, introduced by chief minister Bhupendra Patel, makes Gujarat the second state to adopt such a framework. Backing the move, Amit Shah termed it a “historic step” and said, “It has been the BJP’s resolve since its inception that there should be a uniform law for every citizen in the country.”

Beyond these two states, Madhya Pradesh has initiated the process to bring in a UCC. Earlier this week, chief minister Mohan Yadav directed officials to begin drafting the law, with the state targeting implementation by the end of 2026. The proposed framework is expected to draw on the experiences of Uttarakhand and Gujarat.