MP Accelerates UCC Push, Forms Justice Ranjana Desai Panel
60-day deadline set for drafting Uniform Civil Code framework in major legal reform move
- Madhya Pradesh forms six-member UCC drafting panel
- Former Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai to head committee
- Draft bill due within 60 days
- Live-in relationships, inheritance and family laws under review
GG News Bureau
Bhopal, 28th April: The Madhya Pradesh government has formally accelerated its Uniform Civil Code (UCC) initiative by constituting a high-level six-member committee to draft the legal framework for one of the state’s most far-reaching judicial reforms.
The panel will be chaired by former Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai and has been given a 60-day deadline to submit its draft legislation and comprehensive recommendations.
According to the official notification, the committee will examine existing personal laws governing marriage, divorce, maintenance, inheritance, adoption and succession while proposing a socially balanced and legally viable model suited to Madhya Pradesh’s demographic and cultural diversity.
A major focus area will include legal regulation of live-in relationships, including registration, rights and obligations, reflecting the government’s broader intent to modernize civil legal structures.
The panel will also study UCC models implemented in Uttarakhand and Gujarat to evaluate their legal architecture and implementation strategies.
Officials indicated that women’s rights, child welfare and protections for vulnerable communities will be central to the proposed framework.
Public consultations with citizens, legal experts, religious stakeholders and social organizations are expected to shape the final recommendations.
The move, however, faces significant constitutional and social complexities, particularly regarding Madhya Pradesh’s large tribal population and protections under the Fifth Schedule, which may present legal challenges over customary practices and community autonomy.
