First step taken towards introducing Uniform Civil Code in Uttarakhand: CM Pushkar Singh Dhami
Dehradun, Apr 14: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Thursday said the first step towards introducing Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in Uttarakhand has been taken as the state cabinet has given its nod to set up a committee to draft it.
Addressing the 63rd foundation day of the Indian Institute of Petroleum (IIP) here which coincided with Ambedkar Jayanti, Dhami said there is a provision for UCC for all citizens in Article 44 of the Constitution and even the Supreme Court has endorsed its introduction in its rulings from time to time.
"Keeping our pre-poll promise, we cleared a proposal to constitute a committee to draft Uniform Civil Code at the very first meeting of our cabinet," the chief minister said.
The committee consisting of legal experts and other stakeholders will take into consideration everyone's view and coordinate with all sections before drafting it, he said.
"We need Uniform Civil Code as we share our borders with two countries. Every family in Uttarakhand has someone in the armed forces. Uttarakhand is also a cultural and spiritual centre," he said.
Dhami said every institution in Uttarakhand will have to play a role in making it one of the leading states in the country by 2025 when it will celebrate 25 years of its existence and suggested that the IIP adopt 10 border villages and contribute to their development.
He also praised the institute for its "brilliant" work during the Covid crisis when it set up more than 100 oxygen plants across the country.
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Raj Thackeray questions need for NEET, demands Pradhan’s resignation
Mumbai (PTI): Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray on Thursday questioned the need for NEET-UG and demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi seek the resignation of Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan.
Thackeray's demand comes amid massive protests over the cancellation of the examination following allegations of paper leak.
The MNS chief said the government is so “obsessed” with bringing everything under a centralised authority that it appears to make no difference if the lives of hundreds of thousands of people are thrown into “disarray”.
In a post on X, Thackeray said that for several years now, a single individual (Pradhan) has remained entrenched in the position of Union education minister. Despite numerous “irregularities” and “scandals” within the NEET framework during his tenure, this “gentleman” continues to occupy the post, he said.
“One wonders: has he been rewarded with this continued tenure because he is so zealously pursuing the agenda of imposing the Hindi language across the entire nation? I earnestly appeal to the Prime Minister: please demand the immediate resignation of this Minister of yours, who has repeatedly toyed with the lives and future of 22 lakh students,” Thackeray said.
The National Testing Agency on Tuesday cancelled the NEET (UG) 2026 exam held on May 3 amid allegations of paper leak, with the government asking the CBI to carry out a comprehensive inquiry into the “irregularities”. The examination for students seeking admission to undergraduate courses in medical colleges will now be held afresh on dates to be notified separately.
Thackeray said the Centre continues its tradition of creating “chaos” in every matter and holding the public to ransom. The “NEET paper leak” has proved this once again, he said.
Thackeray sought to know what the Centre did when it found out the alleged malpractice. It merely cancelled the examination and ordered a CBI inquiry, he said.
In 2024, a CBI inquiry was ordered in a similar case, but nothing substantial was achieved through it, he said.
The government projects an air of having fulfilled its duty in all of this. But what about the lives of 22 lakh students and their families, who have been left hanging in the balance, he asked.
Thackeray said fundamentally, there was no need to “impose” NEET (National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test)-UG back in 2016.
“However, this government’s obsession with bringing everything under a single, centralised authority is so intense that, to them, it seems to make no difference if the lives of hundreds of thousands of people are thrown into disarray,” he said.
The MNS chief also asked ministers within the Maharashtra government to show some “spine” and join voices with those of the southern states and oppose this system.
Thackeray said leaders from the southern states have voiced their opposition in much the same way as he. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay has also demanded the cancellation of NEET. The reason for this is that the five southern states, combined with Maharashtra, collectively possess over 350 medical colleges, whereas the large states in the north have only 180 medical colleges, he said.
Consequently, this persistent push that began in 2016 is essentially an attempt to facilitate the “entry of students from the north into medical colleges in the south”, alleged Thackeray. To ensure this, the largest network of coaching classes has been established in the northern states, he claimed.
