Chhattisgarh forms panel headed by ex-SC judge to draft Uniform Civil Code

Raipur: Chhattisgarh govt has constituted a five-member high-level committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai to prepare a draft Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and recommend a framework for its implementation in the state.Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai’s office shared a notification in this regard on social media platform ‘X’ and said the state govt has formed a committee to prepare a framework for the UCC and its implementation.CM Sai said the UCC will definitely be implemented in Chhattisgarh and based on the report by the committee and it will come into force.The committee, constituted through a notification issued by the general administration department, includes retired IAS officers Shatrughan Singh and M K Raut, senior advocate Mohan Pawar and former principal Jyoti Rani Singh as members.The panel has been tasked with examining the existing legal framework governing personal laws and studying issues related to marriage, divorce, maintenance, inheritance, adoption and other civil matters before preparing a draft UCC for the state.It will also invite suggestions from citizens, social organisations, legal experts and other stakeholders, besides examining the legal frameworks adopted by states that have implemented or initiated steps towards a Uniform Civil Code.

The committee will submit its draft along with legislative and administrative recommendations to the state govt, said officials.The BJP govt had announced its decision to constitute the panel at a cabinet meeting on April 15, saying the objective was to simplify civil laws, remove disparities arising from multiple personal laws and promote gender and legal equality.With the panel now in place, Chhattisgarh has formally begun the process of examining a Uniform Civil Code, joining a handful of states that have initiated similar exercises.The opposition Congress called the move aimed at diluting constitutional protections available to tribal communities.State Congress president Deepak Baij claimed implementation of the UCC would adversely affect the rights of Scheduled Tribes, who account for over 32% of Chhattisgarh's population and enjoy safeguards under the Fifth Schedule and the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA).Questioning the govt's move, Baij sought clarity on whether tribal protections, including community land rights and the constitutional safeguards available to Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), would remain intact if the UCC is implemented.The BJP government has maintained that the proposed UCC is aimed at ensuring legal uniformity and gender equality