The Maharashtra government has constituted a seven-member committee headed by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai to prepare a draft for the implementation of a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the state.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis made the announcement in the Maharashtra Assembly on Thursday, saying the panel has been asked to submit its report within six months. The government plans to introduce the proposed legislation during the Winter Session of the Assembly.
Justice Ranjana Desai to Head the Panel
Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai has previously led the committees that drafted Uniform Civil Code proposals for Uttarakhand and Gujarat.
The committee also includes former Bombay High Court judges Justice R.C. Chavan and Justice S.G. Mehare, former Maharashtra Chief Secretary D.K. Jain, former Advocate General Virendra Saraf, constitutional expert Ramesh Patange and educationist Suvarna Rawal.
Government Aims to Introduce UCC Bill in Winter Session
Speaking in the Assembly, Fadnavis said the committee would prepare a comprehensive draft for the proposed law within six months, after which the government intends to place the bill before the legislature during the Winter Session.
The Uniform Civil Code seeks to establish a common set of civil laws governing matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, succession and adoption for all citizens, replacing religion-specific personal laws in these areas.
BJP-Ruled States Move Ahead on Uniform Civil Code
The implementation of a Uniform Civil Code has been a longstanding commitment of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and several BJP-ruled states have taken steps in that direction.
Uttarakhand became the first state after Independence to implement the Uniform Civil Code in January 2025. Gujarat later passed similar legislation in March 2026 despite protests from the Opposition.
In May this year, the Assam Assembly also passed a Uniform Civil Code Bill that seeks to prohibit polygamy and make the registration of live-in relationships mandatory.
Goa remains the only state with a common civil code in force, continuing the legal framework inherited from the Portuguese Civil Code adopted in 1867.
