Overview
- Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said Wednesday the state will introduce a UCC bill in the five-day monsoon assembly session set for July 20–24 and expressed confidence it would be passed.
- A six-member high-level committee led by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Prasad Desai is finalizing a draft after district visits and has been given a 60-day remit while the government has opened a public portal for submissions.
- Officials say the proposed law would cover areas now governed by separate personal laws, including marriage, divorce, maintenance, inheritance, adoption and live-in relationships.
- The announcement has drawn formal opposition from the Congress and protests from tribal organisations that say a blanket UCC could endanger customary practices and protections under the Constitution, including safeguards in the Fifth Schedule and PESA.
- The state has been directed to study UCC models used in Uttarakhand and Gujarat and is following a national trend after Assam passed a UCC bill in May, making the July session a test of political will and public response.