India, May 25 -- The Assam government on Monday tabled legislation in the state assembly to introduce a uniform civil code (UCC), a contentious and polarising issue, which refers to a common set of laws for personal matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, and succession for all citizens.

Article 44 of the Constitution, one of the directive principles of state policy, advocates for a UCC. But respective religion-based civil codes have governed personal matters since independence.

In February 2024, Uttarakhand became the first state in the country to pass a UCC law. Another Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled state, Gujarat, followed suit in March. BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh has set up a committee to draft the UCC. In Goa, the Goa Ci...