Uniform Civil Code draft for Uttarakhand complete, to be submitted to state govt soon: Panel head

Justice (retd) Ranjana Prakash Desai, heading a five-member panel, announced today that the draft of the proposed Uniform Civil Code (UCC) for Uttarakhand is complete and will soon be submitted to the state government soon. The committee, entrusted with the responsibility of drafting the UCC for the northern state, has been diligently working on the code for over 13 months.

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai expressed her pleasure in sharing the news of the completion of the draft. “It gives me immense pleasure to inform you that the drafting of the proposed uniform civil code for Uttarakhand is now complete. The report of the committee along with the draft code would soon be printed and submitted to the government of Uttarakhand,” she said.

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The committee’s efforts involved numerous meetings, consultations, field visits, and interactions with experts and members of the public to ensure a comprehensive and inclusive UCC. In a marathon meeting that lasted over 10 hours, crucial aspects of the UCC were thoroughly discussed and finalised.

The draft will undergo printing soon, followed by its submission to the state government. Once the draft is in their possession, the government of Uttarakhand will have the opportunity to review and deliberate on the proposed Uniform Civil Code.

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At the press conference today, Justice Desai emphasised that the committee’s objective was to promote gender equality and address economic, social, and religious inequalities.

“The committee will make recommendations for bringing a uniform civil code for a range of issues including marriage, divorce, succession, guardianship, custody, and inheritance with a primary focus on safeguarding the interests of women, children, and the differently-abled. We are focusing more on women, children, and specially-abled people. We are working for gender equality,” she stated.

The development comes three days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly advocated the need for a Uniform Civil Code, questioning the coexistence of dual laws governing personal matters in the country. He also accused the Opposition of using the issue to “mislead and provoke” Muslims.

In response, Opposition parties, including the Congress, criticised the Prime Minister’s stance. Rahul Gandhi, in a reference to Modi’s push for a UCC, said that his party would not allow the BJP to divert attention from public issues.