📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Hieronymus Bosch
Politics
MP Draft UCC Calls for Jail Terms on Unregistered Live‑In Couples, Mandates Registration
✍️ The Times of India
🗓 15 Jul 2026, 11:49 AM
👁 2
A draft version of the Uniform Civil Code presented by a Member of Parliament proposes imprisonment for couples in live‑in relationships who do not register their partnership, and requires all such relationships to be formally recorded.
The latest draft of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) submitted by a Member of Parliament includes a new provision that would impose jail terms on couples who live together without registering their relationship. The proposal also mandates that all live‑in partnerships be formally recorded with the state.
Under the draft, failure to register a live‑in relationship could lead to criminal penalties, a move that marks a significant shift in how such unions are treated under Indian law. The UCC has long been a subject of debate, and this addition reflects an effort to bring live‑in relationships under a more formal legal framework.
Supporters argue that registration would provide legal clarity and protect the rights of both parties, while critics warn that the punitive approach could criminalise consensual relationships and infringe on personal freedoms. The draft has sparked discussion among lawmakers, civil society groups and legal experts.
The proposal is still in the early stages and will undergo scrutiny in parliamentary committees before any final decision is made. Stakeholders are closely monitoring the next steps as the UCC debate continues to evolve.
Under the draft, failure to register a live‑in relationship could lead to criminal penalties, a move that marks a significant shift in how such unions are treated under Indian law. The UCC has long been a subject of debate, and this addition reflects an effort to bring live‑in relationships under a more formal legal framework.
Supporters argue that registration would provide legal clarity and protect the rights of both parties, while critics warn that the punitive approach could criminalise consensual relationships and infringe on personal freedoms. The draft has sparked discussion among lawmakers, civil society groups and legal experts.
The proposal is still in the early stages and will undergo scrutiny in parliamentary committees before any final decision is made. Stakeholders are closely monitoring the next steps as the UCC debate continues to evolve.