Govt Likely to Introduce Uniform Civil Code Bill in Upcoming Parliament Session

NEW DELHI: The Indian government is reportedly preparing to present a bill on the implementation of a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the upcoming monsoon session of Parliament, scheduled to commence in the third week of July. Highly placed sources have revealed that the bill may be referred to the parliamentary standing committee, which will solicit opinions from various stakeholders on the matter.

The decision to introduce the bill follows a notice issued by the Law Commission of India, seeking the views of stakeholders on the issue of a Uniform Civil Code. Representatives from the Law Commission and the law ministry have been summoned by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on personnel, public grievances, law, and Justice to discuss the notice on July 3. The committee aims to review personal laws and gather insights from the law panel, legal affairs departments, and legislative departments of the law ministry.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently expressed strong support for the establishment of uniform laws applicable to all communities, emphasizing the need to avoid instigation and controversy. He cited the Supreme Court's endorsement of a Uniform Civil Code and criticized those engaging in vote bank politics for opposing it. PM Modi's remarks have sparked a nationwide debate, with opposition leaders accusing him of leveraging the UCC issue for political gains, given the approaching elections in several states.

The Uniform Civil Code proposal aims to replace religious-based personal laws with a single comprehensive law applicable to all citizens, irrespective of their religion, caste, creed, sexual orientation, or gender. By unifying various personal laws, the UCC intends to promote equality and eliminate discrimination based on religious affiliations.

As the monsoon session of Parliament approaches, the initial sittings will be held in the old Parliament building before transitioning to the new building. The bill on the Uniform Civil Code is expected to be a significant highlight of the session, attracting considerable attention and debate from lawmakers, stakeholders, and the public.

Sushil Modi, head of the committee said, “It's not appropriate to speak before the meeting; till now, we don't know what the views and suggestions of different stakeholders are. The detailed views are yet to be revealed in the public domain, and the responsibility of the committee lies in listening to every aspect of the thoughts on UCC from people belonging to different religions and communities; even the opposition leaders who are members of the committee will be heard. So we should wait for 3–4 days more to understand the opinions in a broader aspect. If the committee suggests that enough drafts have been presented, then we could also recommend tabled UCC in parliament, but for now it's too early to say anything on this.”

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