State PCS - Uttarakhand (UKPSC)

• 14 Oct 2025

Uttarakhand Eases Marriage Rules for Foreigners

Why in News? 

The Uttarakhand government has approved an important amendment to the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), which now allows citizens of Nepali, Bhutanese, and Tibetan origin residing in the state to register their marriages, even if they do not have an Aadhaar card. 

Key Points 

• Eligibility: Citizens from Nepal, Bhutan, and Tibet can now register their marriages using alternative identity documents, such as a Citizenship Certificate, Residence Certificate, Passport, or Valid Identity Card. 
  • In cases where citizens from these countries are already married or about to marry, they can register their marriages by uploading these documents. 
• Objective of the Amendment: The amendment aims to accommodate foreign citizens, especially from Nepal, Bhutan, and Tibet, who have deep historical and cultural ties with Uttarakhand. 
  • These regions share an international border with Uttarakhand and have longstanding residence, relationships, and marriage connections with the state. 
  • The state recognises the importance of integrating these citizens into the social justice system and ensuring they are not excluded from legal processes such as marriage registration. 
• Key Provisions of UCC in Uttarakhand:  
  • The UCC, passed in February 2024, excluded tribal communities from its provisions.  
  • The UCC prohibits certain practices like Halala, Iddat and Talaq (customs related to marriage and divorce in Muslim Personal Law). 
  • It ensures gender equality by granting women equal rights in property and inheritance matters. 
  • Under the UCC, marriage and divorce registrations are mandatory, with couples who fail to register being denied government benefits. 
  • Stringent provisions are in place for unregistered live-in relationships, though children born from such relationships are recognized as legitimate. 

World Standards Day

Why in News?

Shri Pralhad Joshi, the Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and New & Renewable Energy lead the World Standards Day programme on 14th October 2025.  

• The event was organized by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Government of India. 

Key Points

• About: The celebration at the National Institute of Training for Standardization (NITS) featured the release of the National Lighting Code of India 2025, along with the launch of the Learning Management System (LMS) and the Online Standards Development (OSD) Module on the BIS Standards Portal. 
• World Standards Day: 
  • About: The first World Standards Day was first celebrated in 1970 to raise global awareness about the importance of standards in fostering safety, quality, and international trade. 
    • The day was established by International Organization for Standardization(ISO), in collaboration with International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and International Telecommunication Union (ITU), to honor the global community of standard developers and their contributions. 
  • Purpose: World Standards Day celebrates the pivotal role of standards in ensuring quality, safety, and sustainability. It recognizes the collaborative efforts of experts—scientists, engineers, policymakers, and innovators—who work to create these frameworks. 
  • Theme: The 2025 theme, “A Shared Vision for a Better World: Standards for Sustainable Development Goals” emphasises the role of international standards in promoting global cooperation towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)

• BIS is the statutory national standard body of India established under the BIS Act, 2016, for the harmonious development of the activities of standardisation, marking and quality certification of goods. 
  • It was initially set up as the Indian Standards Institution (ISI) that came into being on 6^th January 1947. 
• It is headquartered in New Delhi. 
• It operates various schemes like Product Certification (ISI mark), Hallmarking of Gold and Silver Jewellers, ECO Mark Scheme (for labelling of environment friendly products).