What is the primary objective of a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in India?

Question

What is the primary objective of a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in India?

1. A. To establish a common criminal law for all citizens.
2. B. To unify direct and indirect tax laws.
3. C. To provide a common set of personal laws for all citizens, irrespective of religion. (Correct answer)
4. D. To standardize administrative procedures across all states.

Correct Answer

Option C — To provide a common set of personal laws for all citizens, irrespective of religion.

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is To provide a common set of personal laws for all citizens.

Key Points

• A Uniform Civil Code would replace the community-specific personal laws governing marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption and maintenance with one common code applying to all citizens regardless of religion.
• It concerns civil law only — criminal law is already uniform across India, which is why the criminal-law option is wrong.
• Taxation and administrative procedure are unrelated to the UCC's subject matter.

Additional Information

• The UCC appears in Article 44 of the Constitution, among the Directive Principles of State Policy, which are not enforceable by any court under Article 37 but are fundamental to governance.
• Goa has long had a common civil code, inherited from the Portuguese Civil Code of 1867; Uttarakhand became the first state in independent India to enact a UCC, in 2024.
• The Shah Bano case (1985) brought the debate to national prominence, and the Supreme Court has periodically observed that Article 44 remains unimplemented.
• Directive Principles were borrowed from the Irish Constitution.

प्रश्न (हिन्दी में)

भारत में समान नागरिक संहिता (UCC) का प्राथमिक उद्देश्य क्या है?

1. A. सभी नागरिकों के लिए एक समान आपराधिक कानून स्थापित करना।
2. B. प्रत्यक्ष और अप्रत्यक्ष कर कानूनों को एकीकृत करना।
3. C. सभी नागरिकों के लिए, चाहे उनका धर्म कुछ भी हो, एक समान व्यक्तिगत कानून उपलब्ध कराना।
4. D. सभी राज्यों में प्रशासनिक प्रक्रियाओं को मानकीकृत करना।