The West Bengal government, led by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, has announced the formation of a nine-member committee to examine the draft of the Uniform Civil Code Bill, West Bengal, 2026. Chaired by retired Supreme Court Judge Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, the committee aims to review the Bill and provide recommendations for its finalization. The proposed Bill is expected to be presented in the Assembly in August this year.
The committee comprises eight members besides Justice Desai, including former Meghalaya Governor Tathagata Roy, West Bengal’s Resident Commissioner in New Delhi Dushyant Nariala, and other notable individuals. The draft of the Bill was approved by the West Bengal Cabinet under the leadership of Chief Minister Adhikari on July 2. Upon receiving feedback from the committee, the final Bill will be tabled in the Assembly next month.
Chief Minister Adhikari clarified that certain communities, such as tribals, indigenous groups, Kurmis, and other ancient tribal communities in the state, will be exempt from the proposed law. This exemption aligns with the practices in Uttarakhand and Gujarat. The primary objective of the Bill is to establish a uniform civil law applicable across West Bengal, replacing existing personal laws based on religion.
West Bengal is set to become the fourth state in India to implement the Uniform Civil Code, following Gujarat, Uttarakhand, and Assam. The BJP, in its election manifesto, had pledged to introduce the Uniform Civil Code in the state. Union Home Minister Amit Shah had also stressed the importance of this during campaign rallies in West Bengal. The new state government, led by Chief Minister Adhikari, has promptly initiated steps to implement the Uniform Civil Code in the state.
