Gujarat government likely to support Uniform Civil Code

AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat government is expected to respond affirmatively to the Law Commission of India's notice, which seeks input from various stakeholders on the Uniform Civil Code (UCC).
The Law Commission has recently initiated fresh discussions on the topic of the UCC.
Prior to the 2022 Gujarat assembly elections, the BJP-led state government had declared its intention to implement the UCC in the state. Consequently, UCC implementation was also one of the prominent pledges made by the ruling party in its election manifesto. However, the state government is yet to establish a committee to assess various aspects of its implementation.
"The Law Commission has requested fresh inputs from various stakeholders regarding UCC implementation. The Gujarat government has already announced its intent to implement the UCC in the state, and is expected to provide a positive response," stated a senior government official.
On October 29, 2022, the state government announced its decision to implement the UCC in Gujarat. Subsequently, the implementation of the UCC became a significant promise in the BJP's election manifesto for the 2022 assembly elections, which the party won with a historic majority. Last year, the government also announced the formation of a committee, headed by a retired high court judge, to evaluate various aspects related to the UCC.
Earlier this year, the state government began the process of fulfilling its much-publicized election pledge to implement the UCC. The home and legal departments of the state government began efforts to seek legal opinions on whether to introduce the UCC as legislation or through a government resolution.
While announcing the state government's intention to enforce the UCC in Gujarat, MoS home Harsh Sanghavi stated last October that the decision was made in accordance with Article 44 of Part 4 of the Constitution, which expects the state government to apply a common law for all citizens.