Jaipur, July 6 (IANS) Ahead of introducing the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill, the Rajasthan government has begun inviting public suggestions to help shape the proposed legislation.

A high-powered committee constituted to draft the UCC has sought responses to 19 key questions through an online portal and public consultations. The draft Bill, incorporating public feedback, is expected to be presented during the next session of the State Legislative Assembly. One of the key proposals under consideration is the mandatory registration of live-in relationships.

The committee has also sought public opinion on whether legal provisions similar to those governing divorce should apply when live-in relationships end.

The questionnaire includes several questions related to marriage, divorce, inheritance and property rights, with a special focus on live-in relationships. The committee is seeking views on creating uniform legal provisions applicable across all communities and on whether live-in couples should be required to register their relationship.

The high-powered committee, chaired by former Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, is conducting consultations across Rajasthan by visiting divisional headquarters.

Along with public hearings, citizens have also been invited to submit their suggestions online. Public feedback will be incorporated into the draft UCC Bill, which is expected to be presented in the next session of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly.

The first 10 questions include:

Awareness of Article 44: Are you aware that Article 44 of the Constitution directs the State to endeavour to secure a Uniform Civil Code for all citizens throughout India?

Constitutional Validity: Do you agree that a Uniform Civil Code can be implemented without violating the Fundamental Rights guaranteed by the Constitution?

Support for UCC: Do you support the implementation of a Uniform Civil Code?

Scope of the UCC: Should the UCC cover matters such as marriage, divorce, succession through wills, inheritance and live-in relationships?

Gender Equality: Religious personal laws contain provisions that treat men and women differently. Do you agree that such discriminatory practices should be abolished?

Mandatory Registration of Divorce: Should the registration of divorce be made compulsory?

Uniform Grounds for Divorce: Should the grounds for divorce be the same for all communities?

Uniform Maintenance Law: Should there be a common law governing maintenance after divorce?

Impact on Family Disputes: Do you believe that a Uniform Civil Code would reduce family disputes and make legal procedures simpler and more effective?

Equal Property Rights: Should the UCC ensure equal property rights for men and women across all communities?

The committee has appealed to citizens to actively participate in the consultation process by submitting their views online or attending the scheduled public hearings. Online suggestions can be submitted through the state’s dedicated UCC portal until July 25.

Officials said the consultation exercise is intended to ensure that the proposed legislation reflects public opinion before it is introduced in the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly. Members of the public can submit their suggestions online until July 25 through the dedicated UCC portal.

The committee has scheduled public consultations at various divisional headquarters. In Jaipur, the hearings are scheduled for July 10-11 in the presence of committee member Shatrughan Singh; in Ajmer, the hearing is scheduled for July 7 in the presence of committee member Basant Singh Chhaba; in Udaipur, the hearings are scheduled for July 13-14 in the presence of committee member Basant Singh Chhaba; in Kota, the hearings are scheduled for July 7-8 in the presence of committee member Ramswaroop Agarwal; and in Bharatpur, the hearings are scheduled for July 9-10 in the presence of committee member Ramswaroop Agarwal.

The committee will compile the public feedback before preparing the draft UCC Bill for consideration by the state government.

–IANS

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