The West Bengal government has taken a significant step towards implementing the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) by establishing a new committee led by retired Supreme Court Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai. This committee is tasked with devising a blueprint for the proposed legislation, with recommendations expected within four weeks. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari revealed this development during a special session of the West Bengal Assembly.
The committee, chaired by Justice Desai, comprises a retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, a legal expert, an educationist, a social worker, and an Additional Secretary from the General Administration Department of the state government. Initially, the plan was to introduce a UCC Bill in the Assembly on Monday, but due to the sensitivity of the issue, the Chief Minister opted to wait for the committee’s recommendations before proceeding with the legislation.
Chief Minister Adhikari announced that the UCC Bill will be presented in the House in August based on the committee’s suggestions. Notably, certain groups such as the state’s tribals, indigenous people, Kurmis, and other recognized ancient tribal communities will be excluded from the law, following the precedent set by Uttarakhand and Gujarat. Once enacted, West Bengal will become the fourth Indian state to adopt the UCC, following Uttarakhand, Gujarat, and Assam.
The state Cabinet is set to review the draft UCC Bill on July 2, drawing inspiration from similar legislation in Gujarat, Assam, and Uttarakhand. The government’s initiative aims to establish a uniform law applicable across the state, replacing separate personal laws based on religion. This move aligns with the Bharatiya Janata Party’s election pledge to implement the UCC in West Bengal, a commitment the government is resolute on fulfilling.
