Uttarakhand’s BJP government introduces the Uniform Civil Code News (UCC) bill, fulfilling a poll promise. A committee led by Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai crafts the comprehensive legal framework.
Uniform Civil Code News
Today, in Uttarakhand, the government led by BJP’s Pushkar Singh Dhami has presented the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) bill. It’s worth noting that the Cabinet of Uttarakhand has already given its approval to this draft. In this context, it raises curiosity about the individuals responsible for crafting this bill. Let’s find out who the creators of this bill are.
What is the Uniform Civil Code?
The Uniform Civil Code (UCC) is like a rulebook for personal stuff – think marriage, divorce, adoption, and who gets what when someone passes away. It covers everyone, no matter what religion they follow. The whole idea is to swap out the current mix of laws that change based on different religions.
What is the Uniform Civil Code Uttarakhand 2024 Bill?
The Uttarakhand government put together a team in 2022, led by retired Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai, to create a draft for the Uniform Civil Code (UCC). This team, including retired justice Pramod Kohli, social activist Manu Gaur, former Chief Secretary Shatrughan Singh, and Doon University’s Vice Chancellor Surekha Dangwal, worked hard on a hefty report – 740 pages spread across four volumes.
To make this report, they collected tons of feedback, both written and online, hosted public forums and outreach programs (43 to be exact!), and interacted with over 60,000 people. According to Chief Minister Dhami, the UCC Bill is a result of this extensive public dialogue, discussions, and suggestions.
uniform civil code news: Committee draft
A special group, made up of five people, was put together to create the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) draft. It took them 20 months to put it all together.
Heading this team is Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, a former judge from the Supreme Court. The initial report was in English, but they later decided to translate it into Hindi to make sure there were no misunderstandings.
This committee made sure the translation kept the original meaning intact.
uniform civil code news: These 5 people on the UCC committee
1. Retired IAS Shatrughan Singh
Shatrughan Singh graduated from IIT Kharagpur with an engineering degree. He joined the Uttarakhand cadre of IAS in 1983.
In 2015, he became the Chief Secretary of Uttarakhand. After retiring, he took on the role of Chief Information Commissioner.
Notably, he served as the chief advisor to former CM Tirath Singh Rawat. Shatrughan Singh is also a member of the committee overseeing the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
2. Dr. Surekha Dangwal
Dr. Surekha Dangwal, the Vice Chancellor of Doon University in Dehradun. Before taking on this role, she led the English and Modern European Languages department at Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University.
3. Manu Gaur
Meet Manu Gaur, the chairman of the Taxpayers Association of India. This organization is officially registered and focuses on supporting taxpayers across India.
Mr. Gaur has taken the initiative to draft the Paternity Bill, aiming to address population control. He has been actively involved in advocating for the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and population control since 2012.
4. Retired Justice Pramod Kohli
Justice Pramod Kohli completed his law degree from Jammu University in 1972. In 1990, during the Governor’s rule, he was appointed as the Additional Advocate General of Jammu and Kashmir and later became the Advocate General of the state.
Kohli also served as the legal advisor for Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University.
He was appointed as an Additional Judge of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court in 2003 and later served in Jharkhand, Punjab, and Haryana High Court.
In 2011, he became the Chief Justice of Sikkim High Court before retiring from the position.
5. Retired Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai
Ranjana Prakash is leading the committee crafting the UCC draft. She earned her law degree from Government Law College in 1973. Becoming a government lawyer in the Bombay High Court in 1979, Justice Desai later earned a promotion in 1996.
Her career reached new heights in 2011 when she became a Justice in the Supreme Court. Notably, she served as the chairperson of the Delimitation Commission for Jammu and Kashmir, Nagaland, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, and Manipur.
The opposition parties’ response to the Uniform Civil Code News
Uttarakhand’s Leader of Opposition, Yashpal Arya, accused the ruling party of suppressing opposition voices by ignoring parliamentary rules during the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) bill discussion.
He emphasized the right of MLAs to express their views in the Assembly. Former CM Harish Rawat claimed the opposition didn’t receive a draft copy and criticized the government’s urgency for immediate discussion.
In contrast, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed pride in introducing the UCC bill, highlighting the state’s pioneering step towards equal rights.
The Cabinet approved the UCC draft, proposing consistent laws for marriage, divorce, and inheritance.
The BJP fulfills a key promise from the 2022 polls, aiming for a comprehensive legal framework, irrespective of religion.
Conclusion:
The Uttarakhand government, led by BJP’s Pushkar Singh Dhami, has introduced the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) bill. Crafted by a committee, including retired Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, the UCC aims to unify personal laws. Opposition Leader Yashpal Arya criticizes, while CM Dhami takes pride. The BJP fulfills a 2022 poll promise for equal legal rights.
