Chhattisgarh sets up 5-member panel to prepare UCC draft

The Chhattisgarh government has constituted a five-member committee headed by retired Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai to prepare a draft framework for implementing a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the state.According to agency reports,the notification regarding the formation of the committee was shared by Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai’s office on social media platform X, stating that the panel would examine legal aspects and suggest a roadmap for the implementation of the UCC.
According to the notification, Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, who also heads a similar UCC committee in neighbouring BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh, will lead the panel. Other members include retired IAS officers Shatrughan Singh and M K Raut, senior advocate Mohan Pawar and former principal Jyoti Rani Singh.The committee has been assigned to study the existing legal framework related to the implementation of a Uniform Civil Code in Chhattisgarh and provide recommendations on key issues, including marriage, divorce, maintenance, inheritance, adoption and other related matters.
The panel will also seek suggestions from citizens, social organisations, legal experts and other stakeholders before preparing the final draft. The report will be submitted to the state government along with required legislative and administrative recommendations.The decision follows the Chhattisgarh cabinet’s move on April 15 to establish a high-level committee led by a retired judge for preparing a UCC draft for the state.The state government had earlier said the initiative aims to simplify laws and promote religious and gender equality. It highlighted that multiple personal laws create differences in legal processes and add complexity to the justice delivery system.