The Gujarat government on Tuesday formed a committee under a retired Supreme Court judge to assess the need for the Uniform Civil Code in the state and prepare a draft bill for the same, reported PTI.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel said that the five-member committee, to be headed by former Supreme Court judge Ranjana Desai, will submit its report within 45 days.
"To assess the need for a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and to prepare a draft bill for the same, we have decided to form a committee under the former judge of the Supreme Court," he stated, as quoted by PTI.
The state government will take a decision about the implementation of the UCC after receiving the report.
The five-member committee includes:
Justice Ranjana Desai (Retired Supreme Court Judge) – Chairperson
CL Meena
RC Kodekar
Dakshesh Thakar
Geeta Shroff
Earlier this month, Uttarakhand became the first state to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had mentioned secular civil code in his speech from the Red Fort on Independence Day last year.
"There was a long discussion there. After the debate, it was decided that it would be better if the government that gets elected takes a decision on this and implements UCC in the country... The Supreme Court has also said many times that UCC should be brought into the country... Keeping in mind the spirit of the Constitution and the makers of the Constitution, we are working with full force for a secular civil code," PM Modi said, as quoted by news agency ANI.
What is the UCC?
The Uniform Civil Code (UCC) calls for the formulation of one law for India, which would be applicable to all religious communities in matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, and adoption. The code comes under Article 44 of the Constitution, which lays down that the state shall endeavour to secure a Uniform Civil Code for the citizens throughout the territory of India.
The origin of the UCC dates back to colonial India when the British government submitted its report in 1835 stressing the need for uniformity in the codification of Indian law relating to crimes, evidence, and contracts, specifically recommending that personal laws of Hindus and Muslims be kept outside such codification.
What is Article 44?
The purpose behind Article 44 is to strengthen the object of a "secular democratic republic" as enshrined in the Preamble of the Constitution.
The objective of Article 44 of the Directive Principles in the Indian Constitution was to address the discrimination against vulnerable groups and harmonise diverse cultural groups across the country.
Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, while formulating the Constitution, had said that a UCC is desirable, but for the moment it should remain voluntary, and thus Article 35 of the draft Constitution was added as a part of the Directive Principles of the State Policy in Part IV of the Constitution of India as Article 44.
It was incorporated into the Constitution as an aspect that would be fulfilled when the nation would be ready to accept it and the social acceptance of the UCC could be made.
