Rajasthan committee on UCC begins public consultations

Kota (Raj), Jul 7 (PTI) A committee to prepare a draft Uniform Civil Code (UCC) for Rajasthan, chaired by former Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, has sought responses to 19 questions through an online portal and public consultations. The questionnaire includes several questions related to marriage, divorce, inheritance and property rights, and live-in relationships. The committee, constituted by the Rajasthan government, has sought opinion on whether legal provisions similar to those governing divorce should apply when live-in relationships. The draft Bill, incorporating public feedback, is expected to be presented during the next session of the state legislative assembly. The committee's first divisional-level public consultation was held in Ajmer on Monday, while a public hearing for Kota division will be held on Wednesday, July 8. The committee is scheduled to hold public consultations at divisional headquarters for Jaipur on July 10-11 in the presence of committee member Shatrughan Singh; on July 13-14 in Udaipur in the presence of committee member Basant Singh Chhaba; in Bharatpur on July 9-10 in the presence of committee member Ramswaroop Agarwal. Elected representatives, social organisations, political parties, legal experts, academicians and members of the public have been invited to submit their suggestions on the proposed legislation of UCC. The main opposition Congress has threatened to boycott UCC consultations, saying no draft had been made public. Rajasthan Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra alleged that the BJP government is conspiring to distract people's attention from real public issues by spreading religious frenzy over UCC. "It wants to tear apart peaceful states like Rajasthan," he alleged. Meanwhile, officials said that discussions with elected representatives, including MLAs, Zila Pramukhs, mayors, municipal chairpersons, along with representatives of various religions, non-governmental organisations, recognised political parties, legal professionals and eminent academicians will be held from 10.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. in Kota. Representatives from Bundi, Baran and Jhalawar districts will join the proceedings through video conferencing from their respective district headquarters. A separate session for the general public will begin at 2 p.m. The officials said the hearing was originally planned over two days, on July 7 and 8, but has now been consolidated into a single-day programme on Wednesday, July 8. 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. In February 2024, Uttarakhand became the first state to implement the UCC. Gujarat and Assam also passed their UCC laws this year. Madhya Pradesh has set up a committee to draft the UCC. All of them are ruled by the BJP. PTI CORR RT RT