State-Level Social Reform Laws in India

Indian states have often used their legislative powers to address social reform issues that vary by region, community practice, and local conditions. Many such laws supplement central legislation, while some states have pioneered reforms later followed elsewhere.

Constitutional Framework for State Reforms

The Constitution enables both Parliament and the states to legislate on social matters. The Directive Principles of State Policy guide governments toward public welfare, and Article 44 specifically places the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) among these principles. Through the Seventh Schedule, states can legislate on subjects linked to marriage, divorce, succession, public order, and social welfare, subject to constitutional limits.

At the same time, state laws must conform to Fundamental Rights, especially equality and non-discrimination. This makes social reform a balance between legislative competence, centre-state relations, and safeguards for individual rights and minority concerns.

Uniform Civil Code at the State Level

A Uniform Civil Code is a common set of civil laws for personal matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, succession, and adoption. Its stated purpose is to create uniformity in civil matters, reduce legal fragmentation based on personal laws, and promote gender parity.

While a national UCC has not been enacted, states have begun taking their own legislative routes. Uttarakhand became the first state to enact a comprehensive state-level UCC, and Gujarat followed as the second state to do so.

Gujarat Uniform Civil Code, 2026

The Gujarat Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill, 2026 received Presidential assent on October 2, 2026. It was notified as Gujarat Act No. 15 of 2026 in the Gujarat Government Gazette Extraordinary on October 1, 2026. The Gujarat Legislative Assembly had passed the Bill in March 2026.

The law creates a common legal framework for personal matters within the state and is important from the point of view of legislative authority, federal coordination, and minority safeguards.

• Coverage: Marriage, divorce, inheritance, succession, and live-in relationships.
• Marriage registration: All marriages must be registered within 60 days of the ceremony.
• Live-in relationship registration: Such relationships must be registered within 30 days of commencement.
• Children’s status: Children born from registered live-in relationships are treated as legitimate under the law.
• Prohibited practices: The law bans polygamy and bigamy.
• Inheritance rights: It provides equal inheritance rights for sons and daughters.
• Exclusion: Members of Scheduled Tribes are excluded from the provisions of the Gujarat UCC.
• Commencement: The law will come into force on a date to be separately notified by the state government.

The Gujarat UCC is a significant example of state-level social reform, but its implementation also raises issues of federal balance and the scope of protections for communities specifically kept outside its ambit.

State Laws Against Superstition and Black Magic

Several states have enacted laws to curb exploitative practices carried out in the name of superstition, witchcraft, or supernatural powers. These laws usually target acts that cause physical harm, humiliation, fraud, or coercion.

• Maharashtra (2013): The Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, 2013 criminalises human sacrifice, black magic, and exploitative magical remedies. Punishment ranges from six months to seven years imprisonment, with fines from ₹5,000 to ₹50,000. Offences are cognizable and non-bailable.
• Karnataka (2017): The Karnataka Prevention and Eradication of Inhuman Evil Practices and Black Magic Act, 2017 was notified on January 4, 2020. It prohibits assault under the guise of spirit removal, parading people naked, forcing consumption of urine or excreta, and inflicting injuries.
• Traditional practices: The Karnataka law exempts traditional forms of worship and cultural practices such as Harikatha, Keerthana, and Bhajana.
• Bihar (1999): The Bihar Prohibition of Witch (Daain) Practices Act, 1999 was among the early state laws to address witch-hunting and related cruelty.
• Gujarat (2024): Gujarat enacted the Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and Other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, 2024 after a public interest litigation sought safeguards against exploitative rituals.

Property Rights Reforms through State Amendments

State-level reform also played an important role in property rights and gender equality. Before the central amendment of 2005, several states had already moved to correct discrimination in Hindu succession law, particularly in relation to daughters and coparcenary rights.

• State amendments: Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala introduced amendments between 1986 and 1994 granting daughters coparcenary rights in agricultural land.
• Central reform: The Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 2005 removed gender-discriminatory provisions and gave daughters equal coparcenary rights by birth.
• Kerala reform: The Kerala Joint Hindu Family System (Abolition) Act, 1975 abolished the joint Hindu family system in the state and ended the right to property by birth of males.

Key Prelims Takeaways

• Article 44 of the Constitution places the Uniform Civil Code among the Directive Principles of State Policy.
• A Uniform Civil Code is a common set of civil laws for personal matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, succession, and adoption.
• Uttarakhand was the first state to enact a comprehensive state-level UCC.
• Gujarat became the second state to enact a comprehensive state-level UCC.
• The Gujarat Uniform Civil Code Bill, 2026 received Presidential assent on October 2, 2026.
• It was notified as Gujarat Act No. 15 of 2026 in the Gujarat Government Gazette Extraordinary on October 1, 2026.
• The Gujarat UCC excludes Scheduled Tribes and will come into force on a date separately notified by the state government.
• The Gujarat UCC requires marriage registration within 60 days and live-in relationship registration within 30 days.
• Children born from registered live-in relationships are recognised as legitimate under the law.
• The Gujarat UCC prohibits polygamy and bigamy.
• The Maharashtra anti-black magic law was enacted in 2013.
• The Karnataka anti-superstition law was passed in 2017 and notified in 2020.
• The Bihar Prohibition of Witch (Daain) Practices Act, 1999 was an early state law against witch-hunting.
• The Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 2005 granted daughters equal coparcenary rights.
• Kerala’s Joint Hindu Family System (Abolition) Act, 1975 is a key example of deep state-level property reform.

Recent Context

Gujarat’s UCC has drawn attention because it is now the latest state to adopt a comprehensive framework for personal laws. The Bill’s Presidential assent and gazette notification in October 2026 make it a current example of how states can test reform in an area linked to federal powers and social policy.