Govt not planning to form a committee to implement UCC: Law Minister Kiren Rijiju

The government on Thursday said it does not propose to set up a committee to implement a uniform civil code (UCC) and added it has asked the Law Commission to examine various issues on the matter and make recommendations.

Law Minister Kiren Rijiju said this in response to a question in the Rajya Sabha.

"Government has requested the Law Commission of India to undertake examination of various issues relating to uniform civil code and to make recommendation thereon," the minister said in his written reply.

Responding to a question in the Lok Sabha on July 22, Rijiju had said no decision has been taken as of now on the implementation of a uniform civil code in the country as the matter is sub-judice.

The minister had said legislative interventions ensure gender and religion-neutral uniform laws. Article 44 of the Constitution provides that the State shall endeavour to secure for the citizen a uniform civil code throughout the territory of India.

He had also informed the lower house that personal laws, such as intestacy and succession, wills, joint family and partition and marriage and divorce, relate to Entry 5 of List-III-Concurrent List of the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution.

"Hence, the states are also empowered to legislate upon them," he had said.

The 21st Law Commission undertook examination of various issues relating to uniform civil code and uploaded a consultation paper titled 'Reform of Family Law' on its website for wider discussions.

A uniform civil code was a poll promise made by the ruling BJP during the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections.