West Bengal Sets Up Panel to Scrutinise Draft Uniform Civil Code Bill

The West Bengal Cabinet on Thursday approved the formation of a committee to examine the draft Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill. The panel will be headed by retired Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai.

Minister Agnimitra Paul announced that the committee has four weeks to review the draft legislation and submit its recommendations. She stated, 'The State Cabinet has approved the formation of a committee to examine the West Bengal Uniform Civil Code 2026 draft Bill. The committee headed by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai will have four weeks to examine it, after which it will be placed in the Assembly.'

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari had informed the Assembly on June 29 that the UCC would be implemented soon and referred to the committee's formation. The Bharatiya Janata Party, in its election manifesto, promised to implement the UCC within six months of coming to power.

According to informed sources, the proposed law is likely to ban polygamy, enforce gender parity in ancestral property rights, and curb child marriage. It may also bring live-in relationships under its ambit and require registration. The Bill is expected to be introduced in the Assembly in August. The state government plans to consult similar legislation in Assam, Uttarakhand, and Gujarat.

The government has stated that Adivasi communities will be kept outside the UCC's purview. Both factions of the Trinamool Congress have opposed the implementation. Former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has urged party leaders to oppose the Bill inside and outside the Assembly. Leader of the Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee, leading a rebel faction, questioned the haste, arguing that family laws and personal rights require extensive public discussion before enactment.