← 3 October 2026's Current Affairs · Polity GA Prelims ★★★★☆ Mains ★★★☆☆
Gujarat Uniform Civil Code Bill Gets Presidential Assent
बातमीत का?
Can a State's civil code override Union law? The Article 254(2) assent rule behind Gujarat's UCC
Gujarat's UCC Bill has become Gujarat Act No. 15 of 2026 after the President's assent on 2 October.
Why it matters: asked in UPSC 2003
What you need to know
2 मिनिटे
Gujarat's Uniform Civil Code Bill, 2026 received the assent of the President on 2 October 2026 and was notified as Gujarat Act No.
15 of 2026.
Matters such as marriage, divorce and succession fall in the Concurrent List, so a State law that conflicts with a Union law needs the President's assent to prevail in that State under Article 254(2).
Article 44, a Directive Principle, asks the State to endeavour to secure a uniform civil code for citizens.
स्रोत: Topper IAS editorial (PIB / The Hindu / Indian Express)
महत्त्वाची तथ्ये
Remember these
- Gujarat's Uniform Civil Code Bill, 2026 received Presidential assent on 2 October 2026
- It was notified as Gujarat Act No. 15 of 2026
- Marriage, divorce and succession fall in the Concurrent List
- Article 254(2): a repugnant State law on a Concurrent subject prevails in that State only if reserved for and assented to by the President
- Article 44 (Directive Principle) asks the State to endeavour to secure a uniform civil code for citizens
पूर्व · मुख्य
How the exam will ask it
पूर्व
- Article 44, a Directive Principle of State Policy, directs the State to endeavour to secure a uniform civil code throughout the territory of India; it is not enforceable by courts.
- Under Article 254(2), a State law on a Concurrent List subject that conflicts with a Union law can prevail in that State if it has received the President's assent.
- Marriage and divorce, and succession, are subjects in the Concurrent List, so both Parliament and State legislatures can legislate on them.
मुख्य
GS-II Polity: Centre-State relations and Directive Principles. Issue: a State has enacted a uniform civil code on Concurrent List subjects. Provision: Article 254(2) makes the President's assent the route by which a repugnant State law prevails in that State, while Article 44 supplies the directive backdrop. Implication: this raises questions of federal balance, personal-law diversity and the Union's power to repeal or override such a law later. Way forward: wide consultation, safeguards for religious and customary practices, and clarity on the Centre-State division.
PYQ connection
A question UPSC has already asked on this
Under which Article of the Indian Constitution did the President make a reference to the Supreme Court to seek the Court's opinion on the Constitutional validity of the Election Commission's decision on deferring the Gujarat Assembly Elections (in the year 2002)?
- Article 142
- Article 143
- Article 144
- Article 145
उत्तर पहा
उत्तर: B
Why this matters: today's issue is directly connected to a concept UPSC has already tested. Read the story with this question in mind.
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Answer before you reveal
A State law on a Concurrent List subject, such as marriage and succession under a uniform civil code, can prevail in that State over an existing Union law only if it has been reserved for and has received the assent of the President under which provision?
- Article 213
- Article 246
- Article 254(2)
- Article 368
उत्तर पहा
उत्तर: C — Correct: Article 254(2) — Article 254(2) lets a repugnant State law prevail in that State if it was reserved for and assented to by the President. • Article 213 — wrong: Article 213 empowers the Governor to promulgate ordinances when the legislature is not in session. • Article 246 — wrong: Article 246 distributes legislative subjects among the Union, State and Concurrent Lists, but does not settle repugnancy. • Article 368 — wrong: Article 368 deals with the procedure for amending the Constitution, not with State laws.
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