Ex-SC Judge to Head West Bengal UCC Panel: What Is The Uniform Civil Code, BJP's Key Election Promise?

West Bengal is gearing, as the new BJP government in the state is just taking new steps and this time it's the UCC. The Suvendu Adhikari government took a step by setting up a nine member expert committee to examine the proposed draft law.

Note that the committee will be headed by retired Supreme Court Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai and the draft will be reviewed before it is presented in the state assembly. The Government states that the bill is expected to be introduced during the August Assembly session. Officials have also indicated that indigenous communities will be kept outside the scope of the proposed law.

The move is expected to trigger political as well as legal discussions across the state.

What Is the Uniform Civil Code?

In simple terms the UCC (Uniform Civil Code) is a proposal to introduce one common set of civil laws for the citizens irrespective of the caste, religion or community. In the current scenario, different religious communities in India follow their own laws on family matters. By introducing the UCC, it will replace their personal laws with single framed law equal for everyone.

#WATCH | Baruipur | West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari says, "A committee headed by retired Supreme Court Justice Ranjana Desai has been formed. It will begin its work and submit its findings soon. The UCC (Uniform Civil Code) has been implemented in the state. It is one nation, so… pic.twitter.com/7dROM9baze

— ANI (@ANI) July 11, 2026

The proposed law generally covers matters such as:

• Marriage
• Divorce
• Inheritance and succession
• Adoption
• Maintenance and alimony

The main objective is to ensure equal treatment of citizens in civil matters under one common legal system.

Why Is West Bengal Bringing the UCC Bill?

No this is not new, this UCC was one of the major promise made by the BJP during the West Bengal Assembly election campaign. Well the formation of the experts of the committee is one of the key step towards fulfilling the promise.
Hence the panel will study the draft law, suggest changes if required and submit its recommendations to the government ahead of the legislation.

Which States Have Already Moved on UCC?

Now, if the bill is passed, West Bengal will become the fourth BJP ruled state to take legislative steps towards the implementation. Guess the first state to implement this - Uttarakhand in Feb 2024. Like Bengal states such as Gujarat, Assa, have also initiated steps towards introducing similar legislation.

Why Is the UCC Debated?

There are divided opinions about this law.
Supporters believe that a common civil law will ensure equality before the law and remove differences in personal laws followed by various religious communities.

Critics, however, argue that India is home to diverse religious and cultural traditions. They believe that replacing community-specific personal laws with a single code could affect cultural and religious practices.

Because of these differing views, the proposed legislation is expected to spark extensive debate inside and outside the Assembly.

Earlier Public Safety Law Passed

Even before considering the UCC, the West Bengal government had passed the Public Safety and Control of Anti-Social Activities Bill, 2026 in June.

This bill was brought forth by the government for taking stringent measures against violence, riots, and anti-social behavior.

As per reports, the enactment of this bill will help in ensuring public safety by taking stricter actions against people who violate law and order.