Jaipur: Rajasthan’s proposed Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill has cleared the legal scrutiny stage and has now been forwarded to Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel for ministerial consideration, marking a significant step toward the state’s proposed common civil-law framework.
The draft is expected to undergo further examination at the government level before the next stages of legislative processing. The move brings Rajasthan closer to its stated objective of introducing a UCC covering personal-law matters across communities.
The Rajasthan government had initiated the UCC exercise earlier this year. A five-member committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai was constituted to study existing laws and prepare a draft suitable for the state.
The proposed code is expected to address areas including marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption, maintenance and related personal matters. Government statements have also indicated a focus on equal rights for men and women, while possible provisions include restrictions on polygamy and registration requirements for marriages and live-in relationships.
The proposal is rooted in Article 44 of the Constitution, which directs the State to endeavour to secure a Uniform Civil Code for citizens. Rajasthan’s initiative follows the implementation of a UCC in Uttarakhand and similar legislative efforts in other states.
The draft’s movement to the Law Minister is not the final legislative step. It will still need to pass through the state government’s approval process and, if introduced, face debate and consideration in the Rajasthan Assembly.
