UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — What is the Uniform Civil Code debate?

Q1. The directive contained in Article 44 of the Constitution of India is most accurately rendered by which one of the following?

  • A. The State shall by law provide a uniform civil code for all persons residing within the territory of India.
  • B. The State shall not deny to any citizen equality before the law on the ground of the personal law applicable to that citizen.
  • C. The State shall endeavour to secure for the citizens a uniform civil code throughout the territory of India.
  • D. The State shall endeavour to secure a uniform civil code for all citizens within ten years from the commencement of this Constitution.

Q2. Which one of the following articles of the Constitution declares that the provisions contained in Part IV, including the directive on a uniform civil code, shall not be enforceable by any court?

  • A. Article 36
  • B. Article 37
  • C. Article 38
  • D. Article 39A

Q3. Consider the following statutes: the Hindu Marriage Act; the Anand Marriage Act; the Parsi Marriage and Divorce Act; the Indian Christian Marriage Act. How many of these were enacted before the commencement of the Constitution of India?

  • A. Only one
  • B. Only two
  • C. Only three
  • D. All four

Q4. The following are statutes governing personal law in India, each paired with the community it covers. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act, 1937 — directs the application of Muslim personal law in matters such as succession, marriage and dissolution of marriage among Muslims.
  2. Anand Marriage Act, 1909, as amended in 2012 — provides for entering the particulars of Anand Karaj marriages in a Marriage Register maintained under State rules.
  3. Hindu Succession Act, 1956 — applies to Hindus and, by extension, to Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs.
  4. Parsi Marriage and Divorce Act, 1936 — governs the solemnisation of marriage and matrimonial causes among Indian Christians.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3 only
  • B. 1 and 4 only
  • C. 2, 3 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 4 only

Q5. The common civil code already in force in Goa continued to operate after the territory's incorporation into India principally by virtue of which one of the following?

  • A. Article 372 of the Constitution as extended by the Constitution (Twelfth Amendment) Act, 1962, which included Goa, Daman and Diu in the First Schedule
  • B. The Goa, Daman and Diu (Administration) Act, 1962, enacted by Parliament after the territory's incorporation
  • C. The Goa, Daman and Diu Reorganisation Act, 1987, which conferred Statehood on Goa and separated Daman and Diu
  • D. The Constitution (Tenth Amendment) Act, 1961, which incorporated the territory into the Union as a Union territory

Q6. Consider the following statements comparing the civil code in force in Goa with the State-level uniform civil codes enacted recently. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The common civil code in force in Goa derives from a Portuguese-era code of 1867 rather than from any statute enacted by an Indian legislature.
  2. Goa is the only State in which a common civil code has been continuously in force since before Independence, while Uttarakhand is the first State to have operationalised one after Independence.
  3. Goa's common civil code was enacted by the Goa Legislative Assembly after the territory attained Statehood in 1987, superseding the Portuguese-era law.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q7. The following statements relate to the uniform civil code in force in Uttarakhand. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

  1. Registration of marriages solemnised in the State is mandatory under the code.
  2. Partners to a live-in relationship must have it registered within a month of entering into it, failure attracting a jail term of up to three months.
  3. A child born of a live-in relationship is treated as illegitimate unless the partners subsequently solemnise a marriage.
  4. The code was brought into force in January 2025, making Uttarakhand the first State in post-Independence India to operationalise a uniform civil code.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 4 only
  • C. 1, 3 and 4 only
  • D. 3 only

Q8. Consider the following statements about Uttarakhand's uniform civil code in relation to the codes legislated by other States. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Gujarat's Legislative Assembly passed its uniform civil code Bill before Uttarakhand's code was brought into force.
  2. Uttarakhand's code was passed by the State Assembly in 2024 and received the President's assent before it was brought into force in 2025.
  3. The uniform civil code Bill passed by the Assam Assembly expressly does not apply to persons belonging to the Scheduled Tribes residing in that State.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q9. The following States are identified as having had a uniform civil code Bill passed by their legislature. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. Uttarakhand — its code received the President's assent in 2024 and was brought into force in January 2025.
  2. Gujarat — its Assembly passed a uniform civil code Bill in 2026 that makes registration of live-in relationships mandatory.
  3. Assam — its Assembly passed a uniform civil code Bill in 2026, becoming the third State to do so after Uttarakhand and Gujarat.
  4. Rajasthan — its Assembly passed a uniform civil code Bill in 2025 that replaced the Special Marriage Act, 1954 within the State.
  • A. 1 and 4 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1, 3 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3 only