Uttarakhand has become the first Indian state to implement a Uniform Civil Code (UCC), standardizing laws on marriage, divorce, inheritance, and adoption for all citizens, regardless of religion. The UCC aims to promote equality by eliminating polygamy, ensuring equal inheritance rights, and aligning the legal marriage age for men and women. While the ruling BJP supports the move as a step toward gender justice, critics, especially from Muslim communities, argue that it infringes on religious freedoms.