Gujarat cabinet approves formation of committee to implement Uniform Civil Code

Ahmedabad, Oct 29: Ahead of the Gujarat Assembly polls, Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi on Saturday said the state cabinet has approved formation of committee for implementing the Uniform Civil Code in the state.

"Under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi & Union HM Amit Shah, CM Bhupendra Patel has taken a historic decision in the cabinet meeting today - of forming a committee for implementing the Uniform Civil Code in the state", Gujarat home minister Harsh Sanghavi was quoted by ANI as saying.

This is considered the last meeting of the Bhupendra Patel-led cabinet as the schedule for the state elections is expected to be announced next week.

Union minister Parshottam Rupala said,''Committee for Uniform Civil Code implementation in Gujarat to be headed by retired HC judge and have three to four members.''

Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel also tweeted,''An important decision has been taken today in state cabinet meeting to form a high-level committee under chairmanship of a retired Supreme Court/HC judge to examine the need for a Uniform Civil Code in the state and prepare a draft for this code.''

Earlier, the BJP governments in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh had announced implementation of the UCC in their states.

The Uniform Civil Code has been a major election issue for the Bharatiya Janata Party . The saffron party in its 2019 Lok Sabha poll manifesto had promised to implement the UCC if it was voted to power. The UCC has been labelled by the critics as being 'anti-minority'.

What is Uniform Civil Code?

The UCC calls for the formulation of one law for India, applicable to all religious communities in their personal matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption etc.

It can be seen that this comes under Article 44 of the Constitution, which lays down that the state shall endeavour to secure a Uniform Civil Code for the citizens throughout the territory of India.

Presently, different laws regulate these aspects in India for adherents of different religions, for example, Hindu Marriage Act, Hindu Succession Act, the Indian Christian Marriages Act, Parsi Marriage and Divorce Act.

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What is the objective of Article 44

It is defined to address the "discrimination against vulnerable groups and harmonise diverse cultural groups across the country".

What is the origin of UCC?

The origin of the UCC dates back to the pre-independence era when the British government, in a report submitted in 1835, stressed on "the need for uniformity in the codification of Indian law relating to crimes, evidence, and contracts", and insisted that "personal laws of Hindus and Muslims be kept outside such codification."

In a similar move, Uttarakhand government launched a web portal to invite feedback and suggestions from the general public.