Gujarat UCC Committee Submits Final Report

A five-member committee, chaired by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Desai, submitted its final report on the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) to India===Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel on March 17, 2026. The report proposes a common legal framework for all religions on matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, and adoption, with a strong emphasis on equal rights and protection for women. The India===Gujarat government is expected to table a draft bill during the ongoing Budget session. The committee, formed in February last year, conducted extensive consultations, including meetings with 38 Muslim organizations and collecting nearly 19 lakh suggestions from the public. Despite protests from the Muslim community in cities like India===Ahmedabad and India===Vadodara, the India===Gujarat High Court upheld the government's right to constitute the committee, citing executive functions under Article 162 of the Constitution. Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel has linked this initiative to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's broader goal of implementing a UCC across India.