Raipur: The Chhattisgarh government on Wednesday decided to form a high-level committee, headed by a retired judge, to prepare a draft of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) for implementation in the state with an aim to “simplify laws to promote religious and gender equality”.
An official statement said that the decision was taken during a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai at Mantralaya Mahanadi Bhawan.
She added that the committee will be headed by retired Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, while the Prime Minister is empowered to nominate the committee members.
At present, matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption, maintenance and family disputes in Chhattisgarh are governed by different personal laws on the basis of religion. He said that Article 44 of the Constitution directs the state to work to implement a unified civil law for all citizens.
The presence of multiple personal laws creates inequality in legal processes and makes the justice system more complex. She said the proposed UCC law aims to simplify laws to promote religious and gender equality.
The committee will seek suggestions from citizens, organizations and experts, and may also seek comments through an online portal. She added that based on her recommendations, the draft law will be prepared and presented to the Council of Ministers for approval, and then presented to the State Council to establish a unified and transparent civil legal framework.
The BJP government in Uttarakhand formally implemented the UCC law in January 2025, becoming the first state in the country to do so. The Gujarat Assembly last month passed the UCC Bill, 2026.
