The West Bengal government has constituted a nine-member expert committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai to examine and finalize the draft Uniform Civil Code for the state. According to a government notification issued on Friday, the committee was formed in view of the 'wide ramifications and voluminous nature' of the proposed legislation. The panel will undertake a comprehensive examination of the draft Bill before any further steps are taken. As per a senior state government official, the committee has been constituted following a decision taken at the state cabinet meeting held on July 2. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced in the Assembly that the draft Uniform Civil Code would be introduced during the August session, with the committee expected to submit its findings soon. The notification specifically states that the committee has been constituted to 'examine the bill titled The Uniform Civil Code, West Bengal, 2026' with immediate effect.
The committee includes Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai (retd.) as chairperson, along with former Meghalaya Governor Tathagata Roy, Resident Commissioner Dushyant Nariala (IAS), retired IAS officer Shatrughna Singh, Principal Secretary (Home and Hill Affairs) Sanghamitra Ghosh, retired anthropology professor Dr Ratna Bhattacharya, former Gour Banga University vice-chancellor Gopalchandra Misra, Calcutta High Court advocate Osman Gani Mallick, and former executive director Nirmalya Bhattacharyya. Justice Desai brings significant experience having previously chaired UCC committees in Uttarakhand and Gujarat and currently heads similar panels in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. The panel will study the draft document in detail and submit its recommendations to the government before any decision on the proposed legislation is taken. As reported by the state government, the draft Bill has been prepared with the objective of creating a comprehensive legal framework governing personal civil matters for residents of the state, irrespective of religion, faith or community.
The proposed legislation seeks to deal with issues relating to marriage, divorce, intestate succession and testamentary succession. According to the state government, the West Bengal UCC bill aims to standardise civil laws across all communities regarding marriage, divorce, inheritance, and adoption. The bill is similar to the models in Uttarakhand and Assam in key parameters, and since 2014, three states -- Uttarakhand, Gujarat and Assam -- have adopted UCC, with West Bengal set to become the fourth. Uttarakhand has become the first state to enact a Uniform Civil Code since Independence, with Maharashtra expected to study its experience when preparing its draft. The state government has indicated that the proposed legislation will exempt indigenous communities from certain provisions of the Uniform Civil Code. Officials said the Bengal panel is expected to study existing UCC models, particularly Assam's, given the similarities in demographic and migration-related issues faced by the two states.
The UCC was one of the BJP's key electoral promises in the 2026 assembly polls, and the party came to power, ending the Trinamool Congress's 15-year rule in the state. Chief Minister Adhikari had formally announced the move to implement a UCC in the state assembly earlier this week, fulfilling a key promise made by the BJP in its Sankalp Patra, which pledged to introduce the bill within six months of coming to power. As reported by a senior state government official, the initiative has been taken keeping in view Article 44 of the Constitution, which directs the State to endeavour to secure a Uniform Civil Code for citizens. Chief Minister Adhikari emphasized that '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 there will be one law. There cannot be two sets of laws. It is crystal clear.'
