The Maharashtra Government has introduced the Uniform Civil Code Bill, 2026 in the State Legislature, aiming to establish a common legal framework governing marriage, divorce, maintenance, succession, and related civil matters for all citizens, irrespective of religion.

The Bill is anchored in Article 44 of the Constitution and seeks to eliminate legal disparities arising from multiple personal laws, while promoting gender equality, social justice, and uniformity in civil rights. It clarifies that the proposed law will apply only to civil matters and will not interfere with religious beliefs, practices, or modes of worship.

Key provisions include mandatory registration of marriages, uniform minimum age requirements (21 years for men and 18 years for women), and a prohibition on polygamy. The Bill also introduces gender-neutral provisions for divorce, maintenance, custody, and property distribution, ensuring equal rights for men and women.

Significantly, the Bill provides for equal inheritance rights for sons and daughters and applies uniform rules of succession, while continuing to recognise testamentary succession under the Indian Succession Act, 1925. It also introduces provisions relating to live-in relationships, making their registration optional while granting legal protection and rights to children born from such unions.

The Bill further states that existing personal laws, including those governing Hindus, Muslims, Christians, and Parsis, will cease to apply to the extent they are inconsistent with the proposed Code. However, it expressly excludes Scheduled Tribes from its application unless notified otherwise by the State.