CURRENT AFFAIRS | APRIL 1, 2026
CLAT GK + CONSTITUTIONAL LAW & PERSONAL LAWS
As Assam heads to assembly polls (voting on April 9, counting on May 4), the BJP has unveiled its ‘Sankalp Patra’ — a 31-point election manifesto released by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. The manifesto’s most legally significant promises are the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) for all Assam residents (excluding 6th Schedule tribal areas), legislation against “land jihad” (illegal land encroachment), strict action on “love jihad,” and expedited detection and pushback of illegal immigrants under the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act 1950. These promises sit at the intersection of constitutional law, personal laws, and fundamental rights — precisely the territory that CLAT loves to test.
Article 44 (DPSP — Uniform Civil Code): Directs the State to endeavour to secure a Uniform Civil Code for all citizens throughout India. It is a Directive Principle — non-justiciable, but fundamental in governance. Uttarakhand became the first state to enact a UCC (Uttarakhand UCC Act 2024).
Sarla Mudgal v. Union of India (1995): The Supreme Court held that a Hindu man converting to Islam to practice bigamy is illegal; his Hindu marriage is not dissolved by conversion. The Court strongly recommended UCC implementation — a direct CLAT landmark case.
Shah Bano Case (Mohd. Ahmed Khan v. Shah Bano Begum, 1985): SC held a divorced Muslim woman is entitled to maintenance under Section 125 CrPC. The subsequent Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act 1986 sought to override this — a pivotal moment in the UCC debate.
Sarbananda Sonowal v. Union of India (2005): The Supreme Court struck down the IMDT Act 1983 as unconstitutional, holding it was more favourable to illegal migrants than the Foreigners Act 1946, making it harder to detect and deport illegal immigrants from Assam.
Article 300A (Right to Property): No person shall be deprived of property except by authority of law — the constitutional basis for land encroachment legislation. Article 14 (equality) and Article 15(3) (special provisions for women/children) are also implicated in UCC debates.
The UCC promise is the manifesto’s most constitutionally significant plank. BJP promises to implement UCC for all Assam residents, following the footsteps of Uttarakhand — but with a crucial carve-out: the 6th Schedule areas (tribal autonomous councils) and Scheduled Tribe communities will be excluded from the UCC’s purview. This exclusion itself raises important constitutional questions about whether differential treatment of tribal areas is permissible under Articles 14 and 15, or whether it represents legitimate protective discrimination under Article 15(3) and Schedule VI of the Constitution.
On land encroachment, the Sankalp Patra promises to “free every inch of land from encroachment by illegal immigrants” and bring specific legislation against “land jihad” — a politically charged term referring to alleged illegal acquisition of land by certain communities. The manifesto also promises to recover encroached land from “Bangladeshi Miyas,” freeing lands of Satras (Vaishnavite monasteries), Namghars, and places of cultural heritage. These promises draw on the legal framework of the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act 1950, and the now-struck-down IMDT Act 1983 (held unconstitutional in Sarbananda Sonowal, 2005).
On citizenship and immigration, the manifesto’s commitments connect directly to the Citizenship Act 1955 (which provides for acquisition of citizenship by birth, descent, registration, naturalization, and incorporation of territory) and the ongoing National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise in Assam. The NRC, finalised in 2019, excluded approximately 19 lakh residents who could not prove citizenship — a process still mired in legal challenges before the Supreme Court. The BJP promises to implement the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) 2019 provisions in tandem with NRC processes for identifying and deporting illegal migrants.
This topic is a CLAT 2027 goldmine. Expect questions on: (1) Article 44 — nature of DPSPs, enforceability, and the UCC mandate; (2) Sarla Mudgal (1995) — conversion and bigamy, court’s UCC recommendation; (3) Shah Bano (1985) — Muslim women’s maintenance rights, intersection of personal law and CrPC; (4) Sarbananda Sonowal (2005) — IMDT Act struck down, Article 355 (protection against external aggression); (5) Article 15(3) — special provisions for women and the constitutionality of personal laws. A passage-based question may describe an election promise to implement UCC and ask you to identify the relevant constitutional article, landmark case, and whether DPSPs are enforceable.
| Fact | Detail |
| Manifesto Name | BJP ‘Sankalp Patra’ — 31 key promises for Assam 2026 polls |
| UCC Promise | Implement UCC for all Assam residents; 6th Schedule & ST areas excluded |
| Land Jihad | Legislation to prevent illegal land encroachment; recovery of encroached lands |
| First UCC State | Uttarakhand (UCC Act 2024) |
| IMDT Act Status | Struck down — Sarbananda Sonowal v. Union of India (2005) |
| Election Date | Voting: April 9, 2026 | Counting: May 4, 2026 (all 126 constituencies) |
Mnemonic — “SASSY UCC”: Sarla Mudgal 1995 = Bigamy via conversion illegal + UCC recommendation. Article 44 = UCC is a DPSP (non-justiciable). Shah Bano 1985 = Muslim women’s maintenance under Sec. 125 CrPC. Sarbananda Sonowal 2005 = IMDT Act struck down. Your key fact: Uttarakhand = FIRST UCC state (2024). UCC = Uniform Civil Code = applies equally to ALL citizens regardless of religion. Remember: DPSPs guide governance but courts CANNOT enforce them — only Parliament/State legislatures can act on them.
Practice Quiz — 10 CLAT-Style Questions
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