Maharashtra forms panel to draft Uniform Civil Code, Justice Ranjana Desai to head committee

Justice Ranjana Desai will head Maharashtra's newly formed UCC panel, which has been tasked with submitting a draft Uniform Civil Code in six months

PGurus Newsdesk

July 9, 2026

The Maharashtra government has formed a seven-member committee headed by Justice Ranjana Desai to prepare a draft Uniform Civil Code within six months

Maharashtra govt constituted committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Desai to draft a Uniform Civil Code within six months

The Maharashtra government has constituted a seven-member committee headed by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai to prepare a draft for a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the state. The panel has been given six months to submit its recommendations to the government.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced the formation of the committee, describing it as a significant step towards creating a uniform legal framework governing personal laws related to marriage, divorce, inheritance and adoption.

Justice Ranjana Desai to lead seven-member panel

Justice Ranjana Desai, who previously chaired the committee that drafted Uttarakhand’s Uniform Civil Code, will head the Maharashtra panel. The committee also includes former judges, legal experts, senior administrators and academicians.

Six-month deadline for draft law

The committee has been tasked with studying existing personal laws, consulting stakeholders and preparing a draft UCC within six months.

According to the state government, the proposed legislation aims to establish a common set of civil laws applicable to all citizens, irrespective of religion, while ensuring constitutional safeguards and promoting legal uniformity.

Public consultations to be part of process

The panel is expected to seek views from legal experts, civil society organisations, religious groups and members of the public before finalising its recommendations.

The government said the consultation process would help ensure that diverse perspectives are considered while drafting the legislation.

Draft likely during Winter Session

The Maharashtra government is aiming to place the proposed UCC legislation before the state legislature during the Winter Session, subject to the committee submitting its report within the stipulated timeline.

The move makes Maharashtra one of the latest BJP-ruled states to initiate the process of drafting a Uniform Civil Code, following similar efforts in states such as Uttarakhand.

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