The West Bengal government has constituted a high-level committee, headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, to undertake a detailed review of the draft Uniform Civil Code (UCC) proposed for the state.
The decision was notified by the state government on Friday, nearly a week after the State Cabinet approved the formation of the panel during its meeting on 2 July.
According to the notification, the committee has been tasked with conducting a comprehensive examination of the draft legislation before the government proceeds further with the proposed law. Officials said the panel was constituted in view of the "wide ramifications and voluminous nature" of the proposed legislation.
The proposed legislation seeks to establish a common legal framework governing personal civil matters for all residents of West Bengal, irrespective of their religion, faith or community.
The draft Bill covers key aspects of personal law, including marriage, divorce, intestate succession and testamentary succession.
Justice Desai will chair the committee, which comprises legal experts, senior bureaucrats, academics and public figures from diverse backgrounds. The other members include former Meghalaya Governor Tathagata Roy, Resident Commissioner Dushyant Nariala, retired IAS officer Shatrughna Singh, Principal Secretary of the Home and Hill Affairs Department Sanghamitra Ghosh, academic Dr Ratna Bhattacharya, former Gour Banga University Vice-Chancellor Gopalchandra Misra, advocate Osman Gani Mallick and former executive director Nirmalya Bhattacharyya.
The notification further stated that the initiative had been undertaken in the spirit of Article 44 of the Constitution, which directs the State to endeavour to secure a Uniform Civil Code for all citizens.
If enacted, West Bengal would become the fourth state to introduce a Uniform Civil Code after Uttarakhand, Gujarat and Assam.
The proposed law seeks to bring uniformity in civil matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance and adoption across communities. According to government sources, the draft legislation broadly follows the framework adopted by Uttarakhand and Assam on several key provisions.
The move also fulfils one of the Bharatiya Janata Party's major electoral commitments ahead of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly election. The BJP formed the government in the state after ending the Trinamool Congress's 15-year tenure in office.
The committee's recommendations are expected to guide the government's next course of action before the draft Bill is introduced for legislative consideration.
