Overview
- Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced on Monday that the government has begun a formal process to implement a Uniform Civil Code and urged citizens to submit views on a newly launched consultation website.
- A six-member high-level committee led by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Prasad Desai is touring districts to gather input from religious leaders, legal experts and social groups.
- Sources say the panel was reportedly asked to produce a draft bill and a detailed report within about 60 days, though that timeline has been described by officials as a target rather than a completed step.
- The government frames the UCC as a way to replace divergent personal laws on marriage, divorce and inheritance and to secure greater equality for women, especially in divorce cases.
- Madhya Pradesh’s move follows similar measures in Uttarakhand, Gujarat and Assam and has drawn support from national groups such as the VHP, making the committee’s consultations a key test for how the draft will handle social and legal tradeoffs.