Maha CM announces 7-member panel led by Retd Justice Ranjana Desai to prepare UCC draft

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Mumbai, July 9 (IANS) In a major move towards implementing the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), the Maharashtra state government has constituted a high-level committee to draft the framework. Making the announcement in the Legislative Assembly, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis shared details regarding the committee’s chairperson and its members.

The panel has been tasked with studying the matter and submitting its comprehensive report within the next six months. The government aims to table the draft UCC bill during the upcoming winter session of the state legislature in Nagpur, where it will be presented before both Houses to initiate the legislative process for enactment, said the CM.

A seven-member committee has been formed under the chairmanship of retired Supreme Court Justice Ranjana Desai to chart out the framework for implementing the UCC in the state.

Announcing the panel in the state Assembly, CM Fadnavis stated, “A seven-member committee, comprising legal experts, educationists, and social workers, is being formed. The committee is expected to submit its report within the next six months. Our effort is to take this report and introduce the bill in both Houses during the winter session in Nagpur.”

The committee features a robust lineup of legal, administrative, and social experts, including three retired judges from the Supreme Court and High Courts, a constitutional expert, a former bureaucrat, and two prominent figures from the social sector.

Headed by Retired Supreme Court Justice Ranjana Desai, the committee includes Retd High Court Justice R.C. Chavan, Retd High Court Justice S.G. Mehare, D.K. Jain (Former Chief Secretary), Birendra Saraf (Former Advocate General), Padma Shri Ramesh Patange (Social Worker) and Dr Suvarna Rawal (Educationist/Constitutional Expert).

Earlier, Minister of State (Home) Yogesh Kadam informed the state Legislative Assembly on June 23 that the Maharashtra government had approved the formation of a retired high court judge-led committee to submit a report on the implementation of UCC in Maharashtra. The UCC will be implemented in the state after receiving the committee report.

“The Maharashtra government is positive about the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code. The Chief Minister has given his nod to form a committee led by a retired High Court judge to prepare a draft of the UCC. Once the report is submitted, the UCC will be implemented,” said MoS Kadam.

The minister was replying to the calling attention motion raised by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Devyani Farande over the instances of triple talaq in Nasik district.

Minister Kadam said that once the UCC is brought, the ban on Polygamy will be included in the same. “The government is not against any religion nor an individual. The UCC, when brought, will be applicable to every individual, irrespective of the religion,” he said.

The Maharashtra government’s move comes after Uttarakhand, which was formed in 2000, recently became the first state in the country to successfully implement the Uniform Civil Code under the BJP-led government. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami officially enforced the law on January 27, 2025. The Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly passed the UCC bill on February 7 last year, following a draft report submitted by an expert committee on October 18, 2024.

Following Uttarakhand’s lead, several other BJP-ruled states are now actively moving forward to implement a uniform law for all citizens.

–IANS

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‘Match should go on’: SC declines urgent hearing on plea to cancel India-Pakistan Asia Cup game

New Delhi, Sep 11 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Thursday declined an urgent hearing on a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking cancellation of the India-Pakistan Asia Cup T20 cricket match scheduled in Dubai on September 14.

Though it was argued that the match is scheduled for Sunday and the plea would become infructuous if not listed tomorrow (Friday), a Bench of Justices J.K. Maheshwari and Vijay Bishnoi observed, “Match is this Sunday? What can we do about that? Let it be. The match should go on!”

The counsel for the petitioners submitted that the matter should at least be listed for a hearing, regardless of whether she had a strong case or not. However, the Justice Maheshwari-led Bench declined the request for an urgent hearing, reiterating that the match should go on.

The PIL filed by four law students asserted that organising a cricket match with Pakistan in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor would send a message inconsistent with national dignity and public sentiment.

The plea argued that engaging in sports with Pakistan — a nation that shelters terrorism — undermines the morale of the Armed Forces and causes anguish to the families of martyrs and victims of terrorism.

Further, it contended that cricket cannot be placed above national interest, the lives of citizens, or the sacrifices of armed personnel.

“It (T20 cricket match) can also hurt the sentiments of the families of the victims who lost their lives at the hands of the Pakistani terrorist. The dignity of the nation and the security of citizens come before entertainment. The continuation of this match is detrimental to the security, integrity, and morale of the nation,” the PIL stated.

Further, it said that holding a cricket match between India and Pakistan conveys that entertainment and revenue generation are being prioritised over the lives of brave soldiers and civilians.

“This scheduled match is nothing but a mockery of the emotions of all the citizens of India. It is high time to take steps to bring the BCCI under the control/purview of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports,” the plea added.

–IANS

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Gujarat: Methala bandhara project cleared, irrigation benefit planned for 10 villages

Gandhinagar/Bhavnagar, Match 12 (IANS) The Gujarat government has granted administrative approval of Rs 285 crore for the long-pending Methala bandhara project in Bhavnagar district, a scheme expected to provide irrigation to about 6,550 hectares of land across 10 villages while helping control salinity intrusion in the coastal region.

Water Resources Minister Ishwarsinh Patel said the approval had been given for the Methala Bandhara scheme in Talaja taluka and described the project as important for addressing salinity in the area.

“The long-pending Methala Bandhara scheme is very important for salinity control in this region,” he said.

Patel said the project would enable storage of an estimated 655 million cubic feet of rainwater, which would provide irrigation facilities to around 6,550 hectares of farmland across 10 villages.

He said the scheme would also help recharge groundwater and raise water levels in wells and borewells in the surrounding areas.

“The bandhara (check dam/barrier) will also help stop seawater from advancing further inland, which will prevent the increase in salinity in the region. This project will prove to be like a blessing for farmers in the area,” the minister said.

He added that the project is expected to be completed in about two years after the tendering process is finalised.

Forest and Environment Minister Arjun Modhwadia said the government had found a solution to the long-pending issue related to the project, which involved forest land.

“The Methala bandhara is planned on the Bagad river near Methala village in Talaja taluka of Bhavnagar district, where 598.2427 hectares of forest land would be submerged, and as part of the approval process an equivalent area of non-forest land at Monpur village in Vallabhipur taluka has been allocated to the Forest Department in exchange,” Modhwadia said.

He said the land provided to the Forest Department is located near Blackbuck National Park in Velavadar, which could make it useful as a habitat area for blackbuck and other wildlife species.

The minister added that the central government had granted in-principle approval for the project on March 15, 2024 as part of the required forest clearance process.

Modhwadia said the state government’s decision would benefit farmers and residents of the surrounding villages once the project becomes operational.

–IANS

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‘Serial’ fake Kerala bride arrested hours before her eighth wedding

Thiruvananthapuram, June 7 (IANS) In a dramatic turn of events, Reshma Chandrasekeran, a woman in her 30s accused of duping at least seven men by marrying them and fleeing with their gold mangalasutras, was arrested just hours before what would have been her eighth wedding, officials said on Saturday.

Reshma, who also has a two-year-old child, was taken into custody by the Aryanadu Police on Friday from a beauty parlour where she was getting ready for the wedding.

The prospective groom — a local body member from Pothencode — had grown suspicious of her behaviour and alerted the police.

“She is now in our custody. Her arrest has been formally recorded, and she will be produced before the local court soon,” a police official told IANS.

The groom told police he first connected with Reshma through a matrimonial website last month.

After initial conversations with a woman who introduced herself as a mediator, Reshma was presented as a potential match. They later met in a mall in Kottayam, where Reshma told him she had grown up as an orphan and had very few relatives, which is why she wouldn’t have anyone from her side attending the wedding scheduled for June 6.

However, doubts were raised when she visited the groom’s friend’s house the previous evening. The friend’s wife noticed her suspicious conduct and warned the groom.

On Friday, as Reshma arrived at the parlour, her handbag was discreetly searched, and documents relating to several past marriages were discovered. The police were immediately called, and she was detained.

According to police officials, Reshma’s modus operandi was simple yet effective — after the wedding ceremony, where the groom would traditionally present the mangalasutra, she would vanish within days, cutting off all contact.

“We have started contacting the men she previously married based on the information we’ve obtained during questioning,” the official said, adding, “She appears to have been planning at least two more weddings in the coming months.”

The incident has shocked the local community and raised serious concerns over matrimonial fraud. Further investigation is underway to uncover the full extent of Reshma’s deception and identify any possible accomplices.

–IANS

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