Rajasthan Forms Committee to Draft Uniform Civil Code 2026

On June 22, 2026, the Rajasthan government took a historic step by constituting a five-member committee to draft the state's Uniform Civil Code (UCC). The announcement, made by Cabinet Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Law and Legal Affairs Jogaram Patel and Minister of State for Home Jawahar Singh Bedham, signals Rajasthan's intent to become the second Indian state to implement a UCC after Uttarakhand. The committee has been tasked with preparing a comprehensive legal framework that will govern personal law matters uniformly across communities, covering marriage, divorce, inheritance, and related issues.

Composition of the Drafting Committee

The committee is chaired by Justice (Retd.) Ranjana Prakash Desai, a former judge of the Supreme Court of India who also chaired the Delimitation Commission. Justice Desai brings significant judicial experience and is widely regarded as a fitting choice given her track record of handling constitutionally sensitive matters. The remaining members include retired IAS officer Shatrughna Singh, Rajasthan High Court Additional Advocate General Basant Singh Chhaba, former Principal of Government Law College Ganganagar Ramswaroop Agarwal, and Dr. Shuchi Chauhan. The Additional Chief Secretary (Home) will serve as Member-Secretary, providing administrative support and coordination between the committee and the state government.

The diversity of the panel reflects an effort to balance legal expertise, administrative experience, and academic scholarship. This composition mirrors the approach taken by Uttarakhand, which similarly assembled a multi-disciplinary committee before enacting its UCC legislation.

Scope of the Proposed Uniform Civil Code

The Rajasthan UCC is expected to cover several critical areas of personal law. Marriage and divorce provisions will aim to establish a uniform legal age, registration requirements, and grounds for dissolution that apply to all citizens regardless of religious affiliation. The code is also expected to include a comprehensive ban on polygamy, bringing all communities under a single standard that currently applies only to Hindus under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955.

One notable provision is the mandatory registration of live-in relationships. This requirement aligns with growing judicial recognition of live-in partnerships and aims to provide legal clarity on property rights, maintenance obligations, and the status of children born from such relationships. Equal inheritance rights form another pillar of the proposed code, seeking to eliminate gender-based disparities in succession law. Currently, inheritance in India is governed by different statutes for different communities: the Hindu Succession Act for Hindus, the Indian Succession Act for Christians and Parsis, and Muslim personal law for Islamic inheritance. The UCC would replace these with a single, gender-neutral framework.

Importantly, tribal communities have been excluded from the scope of the proposed code. This exemption mirrors the approach adopted in Uttarakhand's UCC and recognizes the constitutional protections afforded to Scheduled Tribes under Articles 244 and 342, as well as the Fifth and Sixth Schedules of the Constitution. These communities are governed by their own customary practices, which are considered integral to their cultural identity.

Public Consultation Process

The state government has emphasized that the drafting process will be participatory. Public consultations are planned at the divisional level across Rajasthan, giving citizens, religious leaders, legal practitioners, and civil society organizations an opportunity to share their views. In addition, a dedicated website will be launched to collect suggestions and feedback from the broader public. This approach is designed to ensure transparency and to build consensus around the legislation before it is introduced in the state assembly.

The consultative model is significant because UCC legislation touches deeply personal aspects of citizens' lives. Issues such as marriage customs, inheritance traditions, and religious practices vary enormously across communities. A process that invites public input can help identify areas of genuine consensus as well as provisions that may require more careful calibration. The success of this process may well determine whether the final legislation withstands judicial scrutiny, particularly challenges based on fundamental rights under Articles 14, 15, and 25 of the Constitution.

Constitutional Basis: Article 44 and Directive Principles

Article 44 of the Indian Constitution, located in Part IV (Directive Principles of State Policy), states that the State shall endeavour to secure for the citizens a uniform civil code throughout the territory of India. While Directive Principles are not enforceable in a court of law, the Supreme Court has repeatedly emphasized their importance as guiding principles for governance. In landmark cases such as Shah Bano (1985) and Sarla Mudgal (1995), the Court urged the government to move toward implementing a UCC.

The concept of a UCC involves replacing personal laws based on religious scriptures and customs with a common set of laws governing every citizen. Currently, personal matters such as marriage, divorce, adoption, inheritance, and guardianship are governed by different laws for different religious communities. For Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, and Sikhs, these matters fall under statutes like the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, and the Hindu Succession Act, 1956. Muslims are largely governed by uncodified personal law, while Christians and Parsis have their own separate legislation. This patchwork of laws has long been criticized for creating inconsistencies, particularly regarding gender equality and the rights of marginalized groups.

Uttarakhand's Precedent and the National Landscape

Uttarakhand became the first state in India to implement a Uniform Civil Code when it enacted the Uttarakhand Uniform Civil Code, 2025. That legislation, which came into effect following extensive deliberation by a committee headed by Justice (Retd.) Ranjana Prakash Desai (the same jurist now chairing the Rajasthan panel), addressed marriage registration, prohibition of child marriage, divorce procedures, and inheritance rules. The Uttarakhand UCC also introduced provisions for mandatory registration of live-in relationships and imposed penalties for violations.

Rajasthan's decision to follow suit indicates a growing momentum among Indian states toward UCC implementation, even as the central government has not yet introduced a national version. The state-level approach allows for experimentation and adaptation to local conditions, while also building a body of legislative practice that could inform eventual national legislation.

Legal and Social Implications

The implementation of a UCC in Rajasthan would have far-reaching consequences. From a legal standpoint, it would simplify the adjudication of personal law disputes by creating a single reference point for courts, reducing the complexity that arises from applying different laws to different litigants based on their religious identity. This aligns with the broader trend of legal reform and codification seen in recent years, including the replacement of the Indian Penal Code with the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Socially, the UCC is expected to strengthen gender justice. Many existing personal laws contain provisions that disadvantage women, particularly in matters of inheritance, maintenance, and divorce. A uniform code that guarantees equal rights regardless of gender or religious background would represent a significant step toward substantive equality. However, critics argue that a UCC could infringe on religious freedom and cultural autonomy, particularly for minority communities whose personal laws are seen as integral to their identity.

The balance between uniformity and diversity remains the central challenge. Any effective UCC must navigate the tension between Article 44 (which directs the state toward a common civil code) and Article 25 (which guarantees freedom of religion). The Rajasthan committee's consultative approach, combined with the exemption of tribal communities, suggests an awareness of this balance. How the committee resolves competing interests in areas like marriage customs, succession practices, and the registration of relationships will determine whether the final legislation achieves broad acceptance.

For those interested in how dispute resolution mechanisms interact with evolving civil law, the Mediation Act, 2023 provides an alternative framework for resolving family and civil disputes outside traditional litigation. The interplay between a future UCC and mediation processes could offer families a less adversarial path to resolving personal law matters.

What Lies Ahead

The committee is expected to submit its draft within a stipulated timeframe, though no official deadline has been publicly announced. Once the draft is prepared, it will likely undergo further review by the state government and legal experts before being tabled in the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly. Given the politically sensitive nature of UCC legislation, the parliamentary process is expected to generate considerable debate.

Rajasthan's initiative adds to the evolving national conversation around personal law reform in India. With Uttarakhand's UCC already in force and Rajasthan now actively drafting its own version, other states may follow suit, potentially creating a patchwork of state-level codes that could eventually pave the way for a national Uniform Civil Code. The committee's work in the coming months will be closely watched by legal scholars, policymakers, and citizens across the country.