Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai to head Maharashtra’s committee to draft Uniform Civil Code

Maharashtra has appointed a seven-member committee headed by retired Supreme Court Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai to draft a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) for the State. 

The government is aiming to introduce a bill on the same in the winter session of the legislature.

The committee includes retired Bombay High Court judges RC Chavan and SG Mehare, former chief secretary DK Jain, former advocate general and senior advocate Birendra Saraf, constitutional expert Ramesh Patange, and activist Suvarna Rawal.

UCC will replace religion-based personal laws with one common set of civil rules for all citizens on matters like marriage, divorce, inheritance and succession.

It is mentioned in Article 44 of the Constitution as a Directive Principle, urging the State to strive to secure a uniform civil code for all citizens. 

Justice Desai earlier headed the expert committee set up by the Uttarakhand government to draft its UCC. That panel later completed its report and submitted it to the state.

The Maharashtra government has cited this experience as a key reason for appointing her to chair the new panel.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told the assembly that the committee has been given six months to submit its report.

The panel will examine the legal, administrative and social implications of introducing a common set of personal laws on matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance and succession, and recommend the framework for a state UCC.