Bengal sets the ball rolling for UCC, sets up panel under retd Supreme Court judge to look into draft Bill

4 min readKolkataUpdated: Jun 29, 2026 08:01 PM IST

According to the chief minister, the committee led by the former Supreme Court judge will be asked to submit its report on the draft UCC Bill within four weeks. (File Photo)

Asserting that the newly elected BJP government is committed to implementing the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in West Bengal, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday said that a draft Bill pertaining to it will be taken up by the Cabinet on July 2.

Speaking in the Assembly during the ongoing Budget Session, the chief minister said that a committee, led by retired Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai, will look into the draft UCC Bill and propose changes.

“The Uniform Civil Code will definitely be implemented in Bengal. There is a specific process for it… We will bring this (UCC) Bill after examining the examples of Uttarakhand, Gujarat, and Assam. Ancient tribal communities and indigenous people will remain outside the purview of the UCC Bill,” Adhikari said after an uproar in the Assembly over the government’s plan to implement UCC in the state.

According to the chief minister, the committee led by the former Supreme Court judge will be asked to submit its report on the draft UCC Bill within four weeks.

“The committee will function as a task force, with an educationist, a social worker, and an IAS officer as its members,” the CM said.

“This committee will examine a total of nine issues, including marriage, divorce, inheritance of property, custody of children, and adoption,” the chief minister said, adding it would seek people’s views and proposals before submitting the report to the government.

“In August, after accepting the recommendations of this committee, we will bring the UCC Bill. And this Bill will be implemented in West Bengal. If you have anything to say, you may present your views before the committee. But let me make it clear – we are determined to implement UCC in West Bengal,” Adhikari reiterated, adding the Bill will be in accordance with the BJP’s Sankalp Patra (manifesto).

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During the Assembly elections in the state earlier this year, the BJP had promised to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) within six months of being voted to power.

The UCC is a proposed framework to replace religion-based personal laws with one common set of secular laws governing marriage, divorce, inheritance, and adoption for all citizens. Rooted in Article 44 of the Constitution, it seeks to promote gender justice and national integration.

Historically, personal laws, such as the Hindu Marriage Act or Muslim Personal Law, have governed private affairs.

The BJP has already implemented UCC in Uttarakhand and Gujarat.

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Assam became the third BJP state to implement UCC and passed a Bill last month after returning to power in the state last month.

The BJP in West Bengal has also promised strict laws against “love jihad”, a term used by the party to refer to the marriage of a Muslim man with a Hindu woman, and “land jihad”, stating that its objective is to protect the state’s “social and territorial integrity” in its manifesto.

Members of the Muslim outfits have opposed the move.

Uzma Alam, a member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, had told The Indian Express last week that implementing UCC would infringe the rights of the minorities. His colleague, Mohd Kamrudzaman, had said that Muslims will protest as UCC is unacceptable.

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Atri Mitra is a highly accomplished Special Correspondent for The Indian Express, bringing over 20 years of experience to his reporting. His work is characterized by deep regional knowledge and a focus on critical administrative and political developments, establishing strong Expertise and Authority in his domain.

Experience

Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express.

Decades of Experience: Over two decades of extensive reporting experience, primarily covering administration and political news.

Geographical Focus: Holds significant reporting experience from West Bengal, Bihar, and the North-East, providing a comprehensive understanding of the socio-political landscape in these regions.

Key Coverage: Has dedicated more than ten years to covering administration and political news, with a keen focus on political developments in West Bengal.

Electoral Reporting: Demonstrated a commitment to crucial political moments, having covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections during his time at Anandabazar Patrika, and the 2019 Bihar Lok Sabha election while working with News18-Bangla.

Career Foundation: Began his career at the leading vernacular daily Anandabazar Patrika, where he worked for more than fifteen years, including a three-year stint as the Bihar correspondent.

Education

Advanced Degree: Holds a Master's degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University, providing an analytical framework for his political and administrative reporting.

Undergraduate Education: Holds a Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University.

Prestigious Alumni: His educational background includes attending esteemed institutions: he is an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur.

Atri Mitra's decades of dedicated reporting, substantial focus on political and administrative beats, and solid academic credentials make him a trusted and authoritative source for news and analysis from Eastern and North-Eastern India. ... Read More

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