Bhopal, July 13 (IANS) The Madhya Pradesh government on Monday took a significant step towards implementing a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) after a high-level committee submitted its final report to Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, paving the way for the proposed legislation to undergo legal scrutiny before being introduced in the state Assembly.

Receiving the three-volume report, Yadav thanked the committee for completing the exercise within the stipulated time.

“I thank the chairperson and all members of the committee for submitting the report within the prescribed timeline,” the Chief Minister said in a statement on Monday.

The report has been forwarded to the state Law Department. After legal examination, necessary revisions and scrutiny by a committee of senior secretaries, the draft Bill will be placed before the state Cabinet. The government is expected to introduce it during the upcoming Monsoon Session of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly.

According to the state government, the report has been compiled in three volumes. The first contains the committee’s recommendations after examining international practices and the existing Central and state laws. The second contains the draft Bill, comprising four parts, 404 sections and seven schedules. The third volume contains details of the public consultation process.

The committee said it received more than 9.58 lakh responses through district-level meetings, state-level consultations and an online platform. The responses were analysed on the basis of questions, gender and community before the recommendations were finalised.

One of the panel’s key recommendations is that Scheduled Tribes should remain outside the purview of the proposed Uniform Civil Code.

The committee was tasked with examining laws governing marriage, divorce, maintenance, inheritance, adoption and live-in relationships, and preparing a draft suited to the social, cultural and economic conditions of Madhya Pradesh.

“The committee has prepared the draft keeping gender equality as its core principle while respecting prevailing customs and traditions and ensuring consistency with constitutional provisions and public policy,” the state government said in a statement.

The committee was headed by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai. Its members include Prof. Gopal Sharma, Budhpal Singh, Shobha Paithankar and Member Secretary Ajay Katesaria. Senior Adviser Shatrughan Singh and member Anup Nair could not attend Monday’s meeting due to personal reasons.

The development assumes significance as the Uniform Civil Code has remained one of the most debated constitutional issues in the country. Article 44 of the Constitution, a Directive Principle of State Policy, states that the State shall endeavour to secure for citizens a Uniform Civil Code throughout the territory of India. Though not enforceable by courts, the Directive Principles serve as guiding principles for governance.

Madhya Pradesh had constituted the high-level committee after announcing its decision to frame a state-specific Uniform Civil Code. The move followed Uttarakhand becoming the first state in independent India to enact and implement a Uniform Civil Code.

–IANS

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