Chhattisgarh UCC panel invites public suggestions on proposed law

The Chhattisgarh government's high-level committee tasked with preparing a framework for the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) has invited suggestions and opinions from citizens, organisations, and other stakeholders on the proposed legislation. An official statement said that the last date for submitting views is October 15 this year.

The five-member committee, headed by Justice Desai, is examining the legal, social, and administrative aspects of implementing the UCC in the state. Its mandate includes reviewing existing personal laws, studying UCC models adopted in other states, and preparing practical recommendations on matters such as marriage, divorce, maintenance, inheritance, adoption, and live-in relationships.

Citizens can send their suggestions by email at ucc-chhattisgarh@cg.gov.in, through the web portal https://ucc.cgstate.gov.in/, or by post to the Office of the Uniform Civil Code Committee, New Circuit House, Civil Lines, Room No. 202, Raipur, Chhattisgarh – 492001.

The development comes weeks after Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai announced that the UCC would be introduced in the state assembly during the upcoming Winter Session. Since 2024, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Assam, and Madhya Pradesh have implemented UCC laws that largely regulate areas of personal law such as marriage, divorce, succession, inheritance, and live-in relationships.

While the state government has said the objective of the proposed law is to bring all citizens under a common constitutional framework instead of religion-based personal laws, opposition parties have raised concerns about its impact on tribal communities. They have long demanded that the centuries-old traditions, marriage systems, and social practices of tribal communities be excluded from the UCC's scope to protect their specific rights.

In July, the Madhya Pradesh Assembly passed a UCC Bill that bans polygamy and makes registration of live-in relationships mandatory, while explicitly excluding tribal communities from its provisions. The Chhattisgarh committee is expected to consider similar aspects while preparing its recommendations.

The committee has appealed to government and non-government organisations, social groups, religious institutions, communities, political parties, and citizens to submit their views within the stipulated deadline. The official statement noted that the panel is undertaking a comprehensive review of existing laws governing personal civil matters in the state.