What is India's civil code and why does it anger Muslims?
The Uniform Civil Code bill being debated by the Uttarakhand state legislature could be used as a template by other states in India
By Shajil KumarFeb 09, 2024
Uttarakhand, a small northern Indian state governed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist party, is set to pass a bill to replace religion-specific civil laws with a Uniform Civil Code, which could be used as a template by other states.
The bill, being debated by Uttarakhand's legislature on Wednesday, is expected to sail through as Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) commands a majority in the state.
But many Muslims see it as curbing their religion, interfering with centuries-old practices such as polygamy.
Indians from different religions can follow laws specific to their faiths or opt for a secular code. Laws on who and how many people a person can marry, how to end a marriage and inheritance differ by religion.
The code envisions the same set of rules for everyone.
The constitution adopted in 1950 placed the code in a section that recommends laws for future governments. It encouraged the state to "endeavour to secure for the citizens a uniform civil code throughout the territory".
A uniform set of laws has remained elusive because it is communally contentious. It bans polygamy, a practice allowed under Muslim laws that permits a man to have up to four wives.
It sets minimum age for men and women to marry. While Hindu and secular laws only allow men to marry at 21 and women at 18, there is no restriction for Muslims and other communities.
It prohibits a person marrying relatives including cousins, uncles, aunts, which is allowed in many communities. It grants equal inheritance rights to sons and daughters.
In a national first, it also tries to regulate live-in relationships, which critics said was government overreach and interference in personal lives. The law proposes jail or fines for failing to inform the authorities within a month of entering a live-in relationship.
Muslim theologians see the new bill as a threat to Islamic law and religious practices such as polygamy. Muslims are India's largest minority, making up more than 14% of the population.
A prominent Muslim body recently said that the proposed code goes against India's diversity. Some tribal groups have also opposed the code.
A national code is one of the three core promises of the BJP and the only one that remains unfulfilled.
The other two were removing the autonomy of the only Muslim-majority state of Jammu and Kashmir in 2019 and building a contested temple to Hindu deity Ram, replacing a centuries-old mosque razed by Hindu radicals in 1992.
The BJP has promised a national code for decades and introducing it, even in individual states, is expected to boost Modi's popularity among Hindus in his re-election bid by May. (Reuters)
AN ASIAN man has been arrested in Birmingham as part of an investigation into the use of social media to promote people smuggling, the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) said on Monday (15).
The 38-year-old British Pakistani man was detained during an NCA operation in the Yardley area. He is suspected of using online platforms to advertise illegal boat crossings between North Africa and Europe.
“The dual national was arrested on suspicion of facilitating illegal immigration and is now being questioned by NCA investigators. Digital devices were also seized and are being examined,” a statement said.
The agency released footage of the arrest, showing officers informing the man he was being detained in connection with the facilitation of illegal migration into the European Union during 2023 and 2024.
“Tackling organised immigration crime is a top priority for the NCA, and this is one of around 100 live investigations into individuals or networks suspected of such activity,” said senior investigating officer Nick Matthews. “We are targeting criminal networks in every way we can, including their social media activity and those promoting dangerous crossings online. Our enquiries are ongoing.”
The arrest comes amid wider government efforts to curb illegal migration. Ministers said record numbers of employers have recently been banned from sponsoring overseas workers after they were found misusing visas to bypass immigration rules.
“Those who abuse our system will face the strongest consequences,” said minister Mike Tapp. “We will not hesitate to act against companies exploiting vulnerable staff or undercutting British workers. These practices will not be tolerated.”
According to the Home Office, deportations of people with no legal right to remain in the UK have risen by 13 per cent over the past year, with 35,000 removals recorded. The department said enforcement action against criminal gangs is now at “the highest level on record.
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King Charles III (L) poses with India's prime minister Narendra Modi (R) during an audience at the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk on July 24, 2025.
KING CHARLES III has sent a Kadamb tree as a gift to Indian prime minister Narendra Modi on his 75th birthday on Wednesday (17).
The British High Commission in New Delhi announced the gesture in a social media post, noting that it was inspired by Modi’s “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” (One tree in the name of mother) environmental initiative. The sapling, it said, symbolises the shared commitment of the two leaders to environmental protection.
“His Majesty the King has been graciously pleased to send a Kadamb tree to India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his birthday,” the High Commission said. “The gesture, inspired by PM Modi’s ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ initiative, reflects their shared commitment to environmental conservation.”
The gift follows the prime minister’s visit to the UK in July, when he met the 76-year-old monarch at his Sandringham Estate in Norfolk and presented him with a Sonoma tree under the same initiative.
According to the High Commission, cooperation on climate action and clean energy remains a central pillar of the Commonwealth and the UK-India partnership, as outlined by Modi and prime minister Keir Starmer in Vision 2035.
During that visit, Modi had said that their discussions with King Charles covered sustainability, Yoga and Ayurveda, alongside progress on the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).
“We discussed different aspects of India-UK relations, including the ground covered in trade and investment in the wake of CETA and Vision 2035. Other subjects included education, health and wellness, particularly Yoga and Ayurveda, which are subjects His Majesty is very passionate about. We also talked about environmental protection and sustainability,” he recalled.
The Sonoma tree presented by Modi will be planted at Sandringham during the autumn planting season.
Meanwhile, birthday greetings have poured in for the Indian leader from across the world. Among those sending their wishes were US president Donald Trump, Russian president Vladimir Putin, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni.
(PTI)
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US resident Donald Trump and King Charles interact at the state banquet for the US president and First Lady Melania Trump at Windsor Castle, Berkshire, on day one of their second state visit to the UK, Wednesday September 17, 2025. Yui Mok/Pool via REUTERS
US PRESIDENT Donald Trump on Wednesday (17) hailed the special relationship between his country and Britain as he paid a gushing tribute to King Charles during his historic second state visit, calling it one of the highest honours of his life.
It was a day of unprecedented pomp for a foreign leader. Trump and his wife Melania were treated to the full array of British pageantry. Then, the president sang the praises of his nation's close ally.
"The bond of kinship and identity between America and the United Kingdom is priceless and eternal. It's irreplaceable and unbreakable," Trump said in a speech during a lavish banquet at Windsor Castle, family home to British monarchs for almost 1,000 years.
Referring to the so-called special relationship between the two nations, Trump said: "Seen from American eyes, the word special does not begin to do it justice."
Trump's speech will be music to the ears of British priime minister Keir Starmer. He proffered a state visit to win favour with Trump the well-known anglophile and overt royal fan, shortly after the US president returned to office in January.
Starmer hopes the trip will aid his governmentas it seeks to deepen economic ties, secure billions of dollars of investment, ease tariffs and allow him to press the president on Ukraine and Israel.
Britain rolled out the royal red carpet, giving Trump the largest military ceremonial welcome for a state visit in living memory. Trump made little secret of his delight at being not just the first US leader, but the first elected politician to be invited for two state visits.
"This is truly one of the highest honours of my life," he said.
Over the course of the visit, Britain is hoping to convert Trump's affection for Britain - his mother came from Scotland - and admiration for the royals into concrete actions.
King Charles III and US president Donald Trump followed by Queen Camilla and First Lady Melania Trump, walk at the state banquet at Windsor Castle, Berkshire. Aaron Chown/Pool via REUTERS
Companies including Microsoft, Nvidia, Google and OpenAI have already pledged £31 billion ($42bn) in British investments over the next few years, in AI, quantum computing and civil nuclear energy.
Starmer also wants further progress on trade, after Britain secured the first deal with Trump to lower some tariffs. Talks may touch on remaining levies on steel, whisky and salmon.
"The United Kingdom was your partner in the first trade deal of your administration, Mr President, bringing jobs and growth to both our countries," the king said in his speech. "And no doubt we can go even further as we build this new era of our partnership."
But while Starmer is banking on the royals to help cajole the president, pitfalls remain.
Polls show Trump is widely unpopular in Britain and Starmer, faced with plummeting poll ratings of his own and economic woes, will need to show his royal trump card can reap benefits.
While there were many Trump supporters in crowds at Windsor in London, several thousand people marched to protest against the state visit.
"I quite simply dislike everything that Trump and his administration represent around the globe," retiree Bryan Murray said.
Awkward questions about late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein might also come to the fore.
Last week, Starmer sacked Peter Mandelson as Britain's ambassador to Washington over his ties to Epstein. This could lead to questions for both the premier and Trump, whose own relationship with the financier has come under scrutiny.
Amongst the guests at Wednesday's banquet was Rupert Murdoch, whose Wall Street Journal publication the president is currently suing in a $10bn defamation case over an article linking the president with Epstein.
While there was a massive security operation in place in Windsor, police said four people had been arrested on Tuesday (16) after images of Trump alongside Epstein were projected onto one of the castle's towers. Trump was not there at the time.
The Times newspaper has also reported that Britain would announce it was recognising a Palestinian state after Trump had departed. The US opposes that move, which could prove a thorny issue in their talks.
While the focus on Thursday (18) will turn to geopolitics and trade when Starmer hosts Trump at his Chequers country residence, Wednesday was all about ceremony.
Trump and Melania joined Charles, his wife Queen Camilla and other royals and dignitaries for a carriage procession, with the route lined by 1,300 British service personnel.
Later, the Trumps viewed historical items from the Royal Collection relating to the U.S., and then visited St George's Chapel, the final resting place of Queen Elizabeth, who hosted Trump for his first state visit in 2019, to lay a wreath on her tomb. She died in September 2022.
There was a further military parade and a flypast by Britain's Red Arrows aerobatics team, but poor weather meant British and US F-35 military jets - a symbol of bilateral defence collaboration - could not join.
The Trumps also found time for a private meeting with the king's elder son Prince William and the heir's wife Kate, which was described by the prince's spokesperson as "warm and friendly". Trump later praised "beautiful" Kate and said William was "going to have unbelievable success in the future".
As for Charles, the 76-year-old monarch, he was a "very, very special man", the president said.
(Reuters)
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Police officers stand guard between an anti fascist group and Tommy Robinson supporters during an anti-immigration rally organised by British anti-immigration activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, also known as Tommy Robinson, in London, Britain, September 13, 2025.
THE British government has defended its new migrant returns deal with France after a High Court ruling temporarily blocked the deportation of an Eritrean asylum seeker, marking an early legal setback to the scheme.
The 25-year-old man, who arrived in Britain on a small boat from France on August 12, was due to be placed on an Air France flight from Heathrow to Paris on Wednesday (17) morning. But on Tuesday (16), Judge Clive Sheldon granted an interim injunction, saying there was a “serious issue to be tried” over his claim to be a victim of trafficking.
The ruling gives the asylum seeker 14 days to provide more evidence before a full legal hearing.
Government minister Liz Kendall acknowledged the court’s decision was a setback but insisted it would not derail the wider “one-in, one-out” pilot deal with France.
“This is one person, it is not going to undermine the fundamental basis of this deal,” she told Times Radio. “This decision is disappointing but it won’t prevent the rest of that deal going ahead.”
Under the agreement, signed in July and launched in August, Britain can return migrants who arrive by small boats and are judged ineligible for asylum, including those who passed through a safe country. In exchange, the UK will accept an equal number of migrants from France who apply for visas through an online platform. The pilot scheme will run until June 2026.
So far this year more than 31,000 people have crossed the Channel in small boats, adding to political pressure on prime minister Keir Starmer. Immigration has become a dominant issue in Britain, often eclipsing concerns over the economy, as the government struggles to deter irregular crossings.
The returns were expected to begin this week, but several deportation attempts have already been delayed after migrants lodged last-minute legal challenges. More than 90 people detained for removal have pending cases, according to charities. France is due to begin its first repatriations under the deal on Saturday (20), its home ministry confirmed.
Lawyers for the Eritrean man argued that sending him back to France would expose him to “a real risk of destitution” and that his trafficking claim should be resolved before any removal. Sonali Naik, representing the asylum seeker, said the government had acted prematurely.
The Home Office, however, argued in court that the UK-France scheme was essential to “disincentivise illegal and dangerous crossings and favour legal migration routes.” Kate Grange, counsel for the government, warned that delays in one case could encourage others to file similar claims, undermining the agreement’s deterrent effect.
Charities have also raised concerns that the deal will face “all sorts of challenges”. Pierre Makhlouf, from Bail for Immigration Detainees, said: “If the government presumed that the removals would actually take place this week, then they might be premature. Those who are here will fight very hard.”
The Starmer government regards the deal as a central part of its efforts to control migration and to blunt the rise of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party, which has made gains in opinion polls with its anti-immigration message.
Despite the court ruling, ministers stressed the government remained committed to the returns policy. “Playing in the subcontinent always presents a challenge and we have selected a team to be competitive in these conditions,” said Kendall. “We will continue to pursue this agreement because it is in the interests of both countries and of the migrants themselves.”
AN ASIAN senior heart surgeon, who abused his position to sexually assault female members of staff, has been jailed for six years.
Dr Amal Bose, from Lancaster, was convicted of 12 counts of sexual assault against five colleagues at Blackpool Victoria Hospital between 2017 and 2022. He was cleared of two other charges.
According to Lancashire Police, the jury heard during the trial earlier this year that Bose was “the root cause of a toxic and sexualised culture” at the hospital. His behaviour included inappropriately touching women and making sexualised comments.
Despite claiming his actions were “only flirting” and “banter”, Bose was found guilty by a jury in June. He appeared at Preston Crown Court on Monday (15), where he was sentenced to six years in prison.
In personal statements read to the court, the victims said Bose’s behaviour had left them feeling unsafe at work and less able to trust male colleagues. Some changed their working patterns to avoid him, called in sick, or were even forced to leave the profession.
One victim said Bose had not only violated her body but also the trust and respect that should exist in any professional workplace. Others described experiencing anxiety, panic attacks and a loss of confidence.
Detective chief inspector (temporary) Kirsty Wyatt said: “Everyone should feel able to go to work and feel safe, confident and secure. Bose has undermined that by abusing his position of power to sexually assault female members of staff, and in doing so he has caused enormous damage.”
She added: “I would like to thank the victims for having the courage to come forward and speak about what happened to them – that cannot have been easy. While he may have considered his behaviour as merely flirting, his actions have clearly had a deep and lasting impact on his victims, and in some cases have caused them to abandon the profession they loved.”
Wyatt also praised the jury and the Crown Prosecution Service for their handling of the case. “I hope the guilty verdicts give others who may have suffered similar ordeals the confidence to report it to us, safe in the knowledge we will investigate professionally and sensitively,” she said.