Bengal Forms High-Level Committee To Review Draft Uniform Civil Code Bill.

West Bengal Forms Nine-Member Panel to Review Draft Uniform Civil Code Bill.

Sankirtan Das | HENB | Kolkata, July 11, 2026:: The West Bengal government has constituted a nine-member committee headed by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai to review the draft Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill, taking the BJP government’s flagship electoral promise a step closer to legislative implementation in the state.

The Judicial Department issued a notification on July 10 announcing the formation of the committee, which has been tasked with examining the draft legislation, titled Uniform Civil Code, West Bengal, 2026, and submitting its recommendations within four weeks. The proposed Bill is expected to be tabled in the State Legislative Assembly during its August session after incorporating the panel’s suggestions.

Justice Desai, who has previously chaired UCC committees in Uttarakhand, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh, will lead the panel. The other members include former Meghalaya Governor Tathagata Roy; Resident Commissioner and IAS officer Dushyant Nariala; retired IAS officer Shatrughna Singh; Home Department Principal Secretary Sanghamitra Ghosh; retired Bangabasi College Associate Professor Dr Ratna Bhattacharya; former University of Gour Banga Vice-Chancellor Gopal Chandra Mishra; Calcutta High Court advocate Osman Gani Mullick; and former FTS (Friends of Tribal Society – An RSS affiliated Tribal Welfare body) Sambhag Executive Director Nirmalya Bhattacharyya.

Ahead of the notification, Chief Secretary Manoj Agarwal met Justice Desai in New Delhi to discuss the committee’s mandate and roadmap for reviewing the draft legislation.

According to the government notification, the proposed law seeks to establish a comprehensive and uniform legal framework governing personal civil matters for all residents of West Bengal, irrespective of religion, faith or community. The draft Bill covers key issues such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, intestate and testamentary succession, adoption and other related civil matters.

The state Cabinet had approved the formation of the review committee on July 2. Announcing the decision in the Assembly, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said the proposed legislation would draw upon the legal frameworks adopted in Gujarat, Assam and Uttarakhand while incorporating provisions suited to West Bengal’s socio-cultural landscape.

“The committee will submit its report within four weeks and the UCC Bill will be presented in the Assembly in August following its recommendations,” Adhikari had informed the House. He also clarified that recognised indigenous tribal communities, including Adivasis, Kurmis and other notified tribal groups, would remain outside the ambit of the proposed legislation.

Reiterating the government’s commitment to its electoral manifesto, the Chief Minister described the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code as a key promise made by the Bharatiya Janata Party to the people of West Bengal.

“The implementation of the proposed UCC legislation was an electoral promise in the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Sankalpa Patra. We are determined to fulfil that promise. The UCC will also be implemented in West Bengal,” Adhikari said, adding that the objective is to replace religion-specific personal laws with a common legal framework governing civil matters across communities.

As part of its assignment, the committee will examine the existing legal provisions relating to marriage, divorce, live-in relationships, adoption and succession. It is also expected to conduct consultations and assess the social and legal implications of the proposed reforms before submitting its recommendations to the government.

The announcement triggered sharp protests from rebel Trinamool Congress legislators led by Leader of the Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee, who opposed the move while the Chief Minister was addressing the Assembly. The Opposition has maintained that any attempt to replace religion-based personal laws with a common civil code raises constitutional and socio-cultural concerns.

Political observers believe the proposed legislation is likely to generate extensive political and legal debate in the coming weeks. While the BJP government has projected the Uniform Civil Code as a step towards ensuring equality before the law and legal uniformity, opposition parties have argued that personal laws are closely intertwined with religious freedom, customary practices and community identity.

With the review committee commencing its work, attention will now turn to its recommendations, which are expected to shape the final draft of one of the most significant legislative initiatives undertaken by the new BJP government in West Bengal.
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_Agency Inputs.