Uniform Civil Code in Gujarat soon: State govt announces panel to draft UCC

In January, Uttarakhand became the first state to implement the UCC

The Bhupendra Patel-led Gujarat government on Tuesday announced a committee to explore the mechanism regarding implementation of Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the state.

The chief minister has set up a five-member panel, chaired by retired Supreme Court judge Ranjana Desai, to draft the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) for the state. The committee will submit its report in 45 days, after which the Gujarat government will decide on UCC implementation. The panel includes- Justice Ranjana Desai (Retired Supreme Court Judge) – Chairperson, CL Meena, RC Kodekar, Dakshesh Thakar and Geeta Shroff.

The UCC, one of the BJP's core promises, provides for a single law for all religious communities in matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption, etc.

In January, Uttarakhand became the first state to implement the UCC. The UCC is a step towards a unified set of personal laws governing marriage, divorce, inheritance, and succession. It will apply to the entire Uttarakhand, with exemptions for Scheduled Tribes and certain protected communities.

Immediately after Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami assumed office again in March 2022, the state cabinet, in its first meeting under his chairmanship, approved a proposal to establish an expert committee to draft it.

One of the key features of the UCC is that it mandates the registration of all marriages within 60 days of the law coming into effect. Marriages that took place on or after March 26, 2010, must also be registered within six months.

The Uttarakhand government said it has developed online portals for citizens and officials, featuring Aadhaar-based verification, AI-based translation services in 22 Indian languages, and data integration across more than 13 departments or services, e.g., birth-death registrations, district and high courts, etc.

“UCC will ensure women empowerment and their security. Discriminatory practices like Halala, triple talak and child marriage will be stopped. UCC is not against any religion or section, there will be no interference with marriage rituals and customs. It is not meant to target anyone. It is meant to end discriminatory practices and ensure equality for all. Major Muslim countries and civilised societies in the world already have UCC," said Dhami.