No guidelines issued by Centre to states for UCC implementation: MoS Arjun Meghwal
Centre has not issued any guidelines to the States with regard to the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the Constitution of India (AT Photo/ Representational Image)
New Delhi, Dec. 7: The government on Friday rejected suggestions that it has issued guidelines to States to implement the uniform civil code.
Addressing a question in the Lok Sabha about “guidelines issued by the government for implementing the uniform civil code (UCC) in different States”, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal specified that “no such guidelines were issued by the Government of India to State governments for implementing the uniform civil code.”
Addressing a sub-question, the minister said Dr BR Ambedkar, the architect of the Constitution of India had said at the Constituent Assembly that there is a uniform code of laws in the country, covering almost every aspect of human relationship.
Quoting Ambedkar, Meghwal said, “The only province the civil laws have not been to invade so far is marriage and succession and therefore draft Article 35 (now Article 44) is provided as a part of the Constitution.”
A uniform civil code (UCC) means a common law for all citizens of the country that is not based on religion. Personal laws and laws related to inheritance, adoption and succession are likely to be covered by the common code.
In his Independence Day address this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had noted that the Supreme Court has given various directions regarding a common code.
The spirit of the Constitution also encourages such a uniform code, he had said, referring to Article 44 under the Directive Principles of State Policy.
The Article says it is the duty of the state to secure a uniform civil code for the citizens throughout the territory of India. "It is our responsibility to fulfil the dream of the makers of our Constitution. I believe that there should be a serious discussion on the subject," Modi had said.
Notably, Uttarakhand came out with its own uniform civil code recently.
The Centre has referred the matter to the Law Commission, which began fresh public consultations on it in 2023.
- With inputs from news agencies