Assam: Polygamy to attract dismissal from service and exclusion from welfare schemes, proposes Finance Minister
Guwahati, July 11
The Assam government on Saturday proposed to amend the Assam Services Rules, 1964, to dismiss any government employee or government servant found to have practised polygamy.
In his budget speech, Assam Finance Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah said, "In keeping with our Government's unwavering commitment to women empowerment, gender justice and responsible family values, the Government proposes to amend the Assam Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1964 to provide that any Government servant found to have practised polygamy shall be liable for dismissal from service, in accordance with law."
The Assam Finance Minister also said that any male practising polygamy shall not be eligible to avail benefits under any government welfare scheme.
He further said that any person convicted of an offence under any criminal law shall not be eligible to avail benefits under notified government welfare schemes.
Earlier in May, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in Assam, led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, passed the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill 2026 in the first session of the 16th Assam Legislative Assembly, primarily to ban polygamy and criminalise child marriage.
The Assam government had introduced the Bill in the Assembly in May and soon after received Cabinet approval on May 13. The legislation proposes a single civil legal framework governing marriage, divorce, succession and live-in relationships for all residents of the state.
The draft Bill mandates registration of marriages within 60 days and live-in relationships within 30 days, while also proposing penalties for non-compliance. It also includes provisions banning polygamy.
With the aim of preventing exploitation, fraud and unlawful practices in personal relationships, the UCC bill proposed to have upto 7 years of imprisonment under Section 82 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, for any instances of polygamy or bigamy.
Similarly, for child marriages and marriages done through force or deception, the statement added, "Child marriage and marriage without valid consent shall attract imprisonment up to two years or fine or both, as per the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006. Fraudulent or deceptive marriages through force, coercion or concealment shall be punishable with imprisonment up to seven years, along with a fine."
— ANI
Reader Comments
As a woman, I support this move. But I also worry about the implementation. Many cases go unreported because women fear social stigma or losing financial support. The government should also focus on rehabilitating women who leave polygamous marriages. Dismissal from service is good for government employees, but what about private sector? The UCC should be uniform across all sectors.
Interesting approach - using employment and welfare benefits as leverage. In the West, we usually rely more on criminal law for such issues. But I can see the logic: financial consequences create immediate deterrence. The 7-year imprisonment provision under BNS for polygamy/bigamy seems appropriately strict. India is setting an example for gender justice in South Asia.
Ye to bahut achha decision hai! But I have one concern - the welfare scheme exclusion part. What if a man's first wife and children are dependent on those welfare schemes? Punishing the family too seems harsh. They should make provisions to protect innocent family members while penalizing the guilty person. Otherwise, great initiative for modern India. 🇮🇳
I appreciate the intent, but let's be honest - this is mostly symbolic in urban areas where polygamy is rare. The real issue is in rural and tribal communities where age-old customs normalize multiple wives. The government needs to combine these laws with grassroots awareness campaigns. Also, child marriage is a bigger menace in Assam than polygamy. Hope the budget allocates funds for education too.
A bold move for a state government.
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