Jaipur, Aug. 14 -- The Rajasthan Cabinet on Thursday approved the drafts of the Rajasthan Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill, 2026 and the Rajasthan Trees (Protection) Bill, 2026, paving the way for their introduction in the upcoming Assembly session, officials said. The UCC Bill seeks to bring provisions governing marriage, divorce, inheritance, maintenance and live-in relationships under a common legal framework, while the proposed tree protection law aims to curb illegal felling and provide special protection to 29 important tree species, including the state tree khejri. The Cabinet meeting, chaired by chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, also approved a new operation and maintenance policy for rural water supply infrastructure and took several decisions related to ex-servicemen and government employees. Parliamentary affairs minister Jogaram Patel said the draft Rajasthan UCC Bill had been prepared in line with the spirit of Article 44 of the Constitution and on the basis of recommendations of an expert panel headed by retired SC judge Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai. One of the key provisions of the proposed UCC is mandatory registration of all marriages solemnised after the law comes into force. Couples will be expected to register their marriage within 60 days. The Bill proposes to prohibit polygamy while allowing people of all religions and communities to solemnise marriages according to their respective customs and traditions, including practices such as Saptapadi, Nikah and Anand Karaj. Thus, while the legal framework for marriage registration and related rights will be common, the Bill retains freedom to follow recognised religious and community-specific marriage rituals. The proposed legislation will not apply to Scheduled Tribes and will also exclude communities enjoying constitutionally protected traditional rights. Under the proposed system, the registrar will have to issue a marriage or divorce registration certificate within 15 days of receiving the memorandum or reject the application in writing, giving reasons. Notably, non-registration or delay in registration by itself will not render a marriage invalid. A penalty of up to Rs.10,000 may be imposed for failure to register, while ignoring a notice despite being directed to register can attract a fine of up to Rs.25,000. Courts will have specific powers to declare a marriage void in cases involving violations of the code, forced or fraudulent consent, impotence and other prescribed grounds. The proposed UCC also seeks to formally regulate live-in relationships. It provides for written intimation or registration of the commencement and termination of a live-in relationship. The stated objective is to provide greater legal protection to both partners by creating a formal record of such relationships. This would bring live-in relationships within the proposed common legal framework alongside marriage, divorce, inheritance and maintenance. The Bill proposes equal inheritance rights for sons and daughters. In cases where a person dies without leaving a will, the property will devolve according to a prescribed order of priority. The first category will include the surviving husband or wife, living children, spouses and children of deceased children, and parents. The second category will include step-parents, siblings, spouses and children of deceased siblings, parents' siblings, grandparents and maternal grandparents. Other relatives will fall under a subsequent category. If no legal heir is found in these categories, the property will vest in the government. Alongside the UCC, the Cabinet approved the draft Rajasthan Trees (Protection) Bill, 2026, which will be introduced in the next Assembly session. The proposed legislation seeks to strengthen conservation of trees and biodiversity and specifically promote the protection and regeneration of 29 important tree species. These include Rajasthan's state tree khejri, state flower rohida, besides banyan, peepal, lasoda, tendu, mahua, ker and chironji. The proposed law will regulate the felling of trees standing on non-forest land and establish accountability for unauthorised cutting. Offences will be cognisable and bailable, and conviction can attract imprisonment of up to one year, a fine of up to Rs.1 lakh, or both. No person will be allowed to cut, or cause the cutting of, a tree standing on land owned or occupied by them without prior permission from the authorised authority. Where a tree is removed with permission, a new tree is be planted in the same area for every tree removed. The Cabinet also approved an operation and maintenance policy aimed at ensuring regular, clean and sustainable tap-water supply in rural areas. The policy incorporates all 19 major components of the Centre's Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 guidelines. A multi-level institutional mechanism will be established involving gram panchayats, cluster committees, blocks, districts and the state level. The Cabinet approved amendments to give families of 35 soldiers who died of injuries sustained during the 1971 India-Pakistan war access to government jobs. The Cabinet approved a conditional two-year relaxation in the required experience for promotion for eligible government employees who had not received the benefit in the previous three years....