Maharashtra Sets Up Seven-Member Panel to Draft Uniform Civil Code Law

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday announced that the state government has formed a seven-member committee to draft legislation for a Uniform Civil Code.

The committee will be headed by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Desai. It will also include former high court judges RC Chavan and SG Mehare, former Maharashtra chief secretary DK Jain, former advocate general Virendra Saraf, constitutional expert Ramesh Patange and educationist Suvarna Rawal.

The committee has been asked to submit its report within six months. "We will make efforts to introduce the legislation in the winter session of the state legislature in Nagpur," Fadnavis said.

Maharashtra joins the list of states that have begun work on a UCC framework. Assam and Gujarat have also started drafting legislation, while Uttarakhand became the first state after Independence to enact a Uniform Civil Code. Maharashtra is expected to study Uttarakhand's experience while preparing its own draft.

Fadnavis had earlier reiterated the government's commitment to bringing such a law and said the idea of a Uniform Civil Code draws support from the Directive Principles of State Policy. Citing the vision of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar, he said a common civil framework would strengthen the constitutional values of equality and uniformity in matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance and adoption.

Reacting to the announcement, senior Congress leader Sachin Sawant said, "The Directive Principles of State Policy, which include the provision relating to a Uniform Civil Code, were actually a contribution of former PM Jawaharlal Nehru ji to the Constitution." He added that Fadnavis could also have acknowledged Nehru's contribution while referring to the constitutional origins of the UCC debate.

Sawant further said the constitutional provision envisaged a consensus-based approach and stressed the need for extensive consultations before drafting such legislation.

Welcoming the move, Shiv Sena leader Manisha Kayande said support for a Uniform Civil Code has long been an ideological position of the party. She said the late Bal Thackeray aligned with the Bharatiya Janata Party on three key issues: construction of the Ram Temple, abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, and implementation of a Uniform Civil Code.

Kayande said the Shiv Sena has consistently backed the idea of a common civil law for all citizens, irrespective of religion, and welcomed the chief minister's announcement. She expressed hope that Maharashtra would move swiftly towards implementing the Uniform Civil Code and emerge as one of the leading states pursuing the reform.