Chhattisgarh sets up 5-member panel to prepare UCC draft, retired SC judge to lead
The Chhattisgarh government on Thursday set up a five-member committee, headed by retired Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai, to prepare a draft for implementing
The Chhattisgarh government on Thursday set up a five-member committee, headed by retired Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai, to prepare a draft for implementing a Uniform Civil Code in the state. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai’s office shared the notification on X and said the panel would prepare a framework for the UCC and its implementation. According to the notification, the committee will examine the existing legal framework on a Uniform Civil Code in Chhattisgarh and make recommendations on issues including marriage, divorce, maintenance, inheritance, adoption and related matters.
Read Full Story It will also prepare a draft of the proposed UCC and submit it to the state government with the required legislative and administrative recommendations. Besides Justice Desai, the panel includes retired IAS officers Shatrughan Singh and MK Raut, senior advocate Mohan Pawar, and former principal Jyoti Rani Singh. Justice Desai is also heading a similar committee in the neighbouring BJP-ruled state of Madhya Pradesh. The notification said the committee will seek suggestions from citizens, social organisations, legal experts and other stakeholders.
It will also study arrangements related to the UCC in other states before finalising its recommendations. On April 15, the Chhattisgarh cabinet had decided to form a high-level committee headed by a retired judge to prepare a draft UCC for the state. The government had then said the move was aimed at simplifying laws and promoting religious and gender equality, adding that multiple personal laws create inequality in legal processes and make the justice delivery system more complex.
The opposition Congress had criticised the proposal, calling it a threat to tribal rights and claiming that Adivasi communities would be the worst affected by its implementation. With the formation of the committee now notified, the Chhattisgarh government has begun the process of studying the legal framework, gathering public and expert feedback, and drafting a proposed Uniform Civil Code for the state. Ends
The BriefWire