Gandhinagar, Feb 6: On Tuesday, the Chief Minister of Gujarat, Bhupendra Patel, announced the creation of a five-member committee to draft the state’s Uniform Civil Code (UCC). The committee will be headed by retired Supreme Court judge Ranjana Desai and is expected to submit the report within 45 days.
Patel also mentioned during the conference that ultimate discretion would be left in the hands of the government and would depend on the committee’s recommendations. This follows the Gujarat government’s decision in 2022 to consider the feasibility and the relevance of a UCC in the state. The newly formed committee will work on a draft defining the legal scope of the proposed law.
The proposed UCC’s primary goal is to consolidate legislation on citizenship of marriage, divorce, inheritance, and adoption, regardless of religion, gender, or sexuality. This move is also under the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) objectives of implementing uniform provisions across India.
The formation of the panel is a remarkable achievement towards the execution of the UCC in Gujarat, making it one of the first states to push for the reform. Other states governed by the BJP such as Uttarakhand have also made attempts along these lines. Supporters of the proposal have argued that it advances social integration and gender equality, while the opposition considers it a violation of religious liberties.
As a politically sensitive issue in India, the Gujarat government’s decision is likely to prove controversial at the national level about the UCC.
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