Mumbai, July 9 (IANS) In a major move towards implementing the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), the Maharashtra state government has constituted a high-level committee to draft the framework. Making the announcement in the Legislative Assembly, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis shared details regarding the committee’s chairperson and its members.  aThe panel has been tasked with studying the matter and submitting its comprehensive report within the next six months. The government aims to table the draft UCC bill during the upcoming winter session of the state legislature in Nagpur, where it will be presented before both Houses to initiate the legislative process for enactment, said the CM.

A seven-member committee has been formed under the chairmanship of retired Supreme Court Justice Ranjana Desai to chart out the framework for implementing the UCC in the state. Announcing the panel in the state Assembly, CM Fadnavis stated, "A seven-member committee, comprising legal experts, educationiasts, and social workers, is being formed. The committee is expected to submit its report within the next six months. Our effort is to take this report and introduce the bill in both Houses during the winter session in Nagpur." The committee features a robust lineup of legal, administrative, and social experts, including three retired judges from the Supreme Court and High Courts, a constitutional expert, a former bureaucrat, and two prominent figures from the social sector.

Headed by Retired Supreme Court Justice Ranjana Desai, the committee includes Retd High Court Justice R.C. Chavan, Retd High Court Justice S.G. Mehare, D.K. Jain (Former Chief Secretary), Birendra Saraf (Former Advocate General), Padma Shri Ramesh Patange (Social Worker) and Dr Suvarna Rawal (Educationist/Constitutional Expert). Earlier, Minister of State (Home) Yogesh Kadam informed the state Legislative Assembly on June 23 that the Maharashtra government had approved the formation of a retired high court judge-led committee to submit a report on the implementation of UCC in Maharashtra. The UCC will be implemented in the state after receiving the committee report.

"The Maharashtra government is positive about the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code. The Chief Minister has given his nod to form a committee led by a retired High Court judge to prepare a draft of the UCC. Once the report is submitted, the UCC will be implemented," said MoS Kadam. The minister was replying to the calling attention motion raised by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Devyani Farande over the instances of triple talaq in Nasik district.  Minister Kadam said that once the UCC is brought, the ban on Polygamy will be included in the same. "The government is not against any religion nor an individual. The UCC, when brought, will be applicable to every individual, irrespective of the religion," he said.

The Maharashtra government’s move comes after Uttarakhand, which was formed in 2000, recently became the first state in the country to successfully implement the Uniform Civil Code under the BJP-led government. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami officially enforced the law on January 27, 2025. The Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly passed the UCC bill on February 7 last year, following a draft report submitted by an expert committee on October 18, 2024. Following Uttarakhand’s lead, several other BJP-ruled states are now actively moving forward to implement a uniform law for all citizens.

--IANS