Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis announces 7-member committee to draft UCC rules
Pune, July 9
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday announced a committee to draft Uniform Civil Code rules in the state of Maharashtra under Former Supreme Court Justice Ranjana Desai.
The Committee consists of a total of seven members, including three former judges from the Supreme Court or High Court, one constitutional expert, one former bureaucrat and two from the social sector.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Fadnavis made this announcement in the Maharashtra Assembly today.
The Committee, headed by former Supreme Court Justice Ranjana Desai, will have former High Court Justice RC Chavan, former High Court Justice SG Mehere, former Chief Secretary of Maharashtra DK Jain, former Advocate General of Maharashtra Birendra Saraf, Social activist Padmashri Ramesh Patange, and Educationalist Suvarna Rawal as core members.
CM Fadnavis stated that this seven-member committee will comprehensively study all legal, social, and administrative aspects related to the Uniform Civil Code and submit a report with its recommendations to the state government within the next six months. Based on the committee's report, the government will finalise the draft of the Uniform Civil Code.
He added that the state government will strive to introduce and pass the Uniform Civil Code bill in both the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council in the upcoming Nagpur winter session.
The Chief Minister said that the government will proceed on this issue by following all necessary constitutional and legal procedures, so that concrete and effective steps can be taken towards implementing the Uniform Civil Code in the state.
Earlier last week, the Maharashtra government initiated the process of framing a Uniform Civil Code for the state, marking a significant development in the debate surrounding personal laws and legal uniformity in India.
Speaking on the issue, Fadnavis said that the government's commitment to introducing the law, stating that the concept of a Uniform Civil Code finds support in the Directive Principles of State Policy enshrined in the Constitution. Referring to the vision of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar, he argued that a common civil framework would uphold constitutional values of equality and uniformity in matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance and adoption.
The move comes at a time when discussions on the UCC have gained momentum across the country. Uttarakhand became the first state after Independence to enact a Uniform Civil Code, and its experience is expected to be closely studied by Maharashtra while preparing its own draft.
Meanwhile, in May, Assam passed its UCC Bill, aiming to establish a single civil legal framework to govern marriage, divorce, succession and live-in relationships irrespective of religion.
— ANI
Reader Comments
I appreciate the balanced composition of the committee - retired judges, a constitutional expert, and social activists. But I worry about the haste. 6 months seems too short for something that affects millions of lives. Implementation will need careful thought, especially for tribal communities and minority groups.
How can I object? This is clearly a conspiracy against the cultural fabric of India! We have our own personal laws based on age-old traditions. Just because some states are doing it doesn't mean Maharashtra should blindly follow. 😤 Article 25 gives us the right to practice our religion freely.
As a woman, I welcome this. Finally, equal inheritance rights, no more triple talaq discrimination, and uniformity in marriage age. But I hope they also address the concerns of Christian and Parsi communities who have their own established personal laws. The devil is in the details!
Good move by Fadnavis ji! 🚀 Uttarakhand showed it's possible, Assam also passed it. Now Maharashtra should take the lead. This is about modern India where all citizens are equal before law. Religious customs can continue separately, just not in legal matters. Let the committee do its job properly.
I'm cautiously optimistic. The committee has some respected names like Justice Desai. But why no representation from minority communities or women's rights groups on the committee? The social sector members are both Hindu. That's a red flag. 🚩 True uniformity needs input from all stakeholders.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.