Maharashtra forms 7-member committee to draft Uniform Civil Code rules

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced the formation of a seven-member expert committee to draft the framework and rules for implementing the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the state. The announcement was made in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.

The committee will be headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Desai. Its mandate is to prepare draft rules and recommendations for implementing the UCC, which will subsequently be submitted to the state government for consideration.

Besides Justice Desai, the panel comprises former Bombay High Court judges Justice R.C. Chavan and Justice S.G. Mehare, former Maharashtra Chief Secretary D.K. Jain, former Advocate General Birendra Saraf, social activist and Padma Shri awardee Ramesh Patange, and educationist Dr. Suvarna Rawal.

The committee will examine the legal, administrative and social aspects of implementing a Uniform Civil Code in Maharashtra before submitting its recommendations. The state government is expected to consider the draft legislation during the upcoming Winter Session of the state legislature.

The UCC seeks to establish a common set of civil laws governing matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance and adoption, irrespective of religion, and has remained a key subject of national legal and political debate.