- Madhya Pradesh forms six-member panel to draft Uniform Civil Code framework
- Committee led by ex-Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai has 60 days deadline
- Focus includes regulating live-in relationships and protecting vulnerable groups
MP Fast-Tracks Uniform Civil Code Push, Forms High-Level Panel Headed by Former Supreme Court Judge NDTV Had First Reported Move on April 9
The Madhya Pradesh government has formally accelerated its push towards implementing the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), issuing an official order on Monday to constitute a high-level six-member committee tasked with drafting the framework for one of the state's most ambitious legal reforms.
The committee, chaired by former Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai, has been given just 60 days to submit a draft bill and detailed report to the state government, setting the stage for a sweeping overhaul of personal and family laws governing marriage, divorce, maintenance, inheritance and adoption.
The move comes weeks after NDTV, on April 9, had reported the story that Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav-led government was actively preparing to move on UCC and that Desai, who had earlier chaired similar committees in Gujarat and Uttarakhand, was likely to be entrusted with leading Madhya Pradesh's legal blueprint as well.
At the time, NDTV had reported that despite the complex tribal, social and constitutional challenges involved, the state's administrative machinery had already begun groundwork.
According to the Law and Legislative Affairs Department's official notification, the committee will study existing personal laws and recommend a practical, socially balanced legal structure tailored to Madhya Pradesh's demographic and cultural realities.
A particularly notable aspect of the committee's mandate is its focus on regulating live-in relationships, including provisions related to registration, legal rights and obligations arising from such arrangements, an issue that has emerged as a politically and socially contentious frontier in civil law reform.
The panel will also conduct an in-depth examination of UCC models adopted by Uttarakhand and Gujarat, evaluating their drafting process, implementation strategy and legal architecture before adapting recommendations for Madhya Pradesh.
Sources indicate that women's rights, child protection and equality safeguards will form the core of the proposed framework, with the committee specifically directed to ensure that any legal transformation protects vulnerable groups while harmonising diverse legal traditions.
Public consultations are also expected to play a major role. The committee has been authorised to invite suggestions and objections from citizens, legal experts, religious groups and social organisations, and may conduct hearings where necessary.
Apart from Desai, the committee includes retired IAS officer Shatrughan Singh, legal expert Anoop Nair, academician Gopal Sharma, social worker Budhpal Singh, and Additional Secretary Ajay Katesaria, who will serve as secretary to the panel.
The government order, signed by Law Department Secretary Mukesh Kumar, explicitly states that the draft must account for Madhya Pradesh's unique social, economic, and cultural context to avoid future legal or administrative complications.
Madhya Pradesh's vast tribal population and constitutional protections under the Fifth Schedule could pose serious legal hurdles, making the state's UCC exercise far more complex than a conventional legislative reform. Questions surrounding customary tribal practices, inheritance norms, and community autonomy are expected to become major flashpoints as the draft takes shape.
