West Bengal Cabinet approves panel to review Uniform Civil Code Bill

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The West Bengal Cabinet on Thursday (July 2, 2026) approved the constitution of a committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai to examine the draft Uniform Civil Code (UCC).

Minister Agnimitra Paul said the panel would have four weeks to examine the draft legislation and submit its recommendations.

“The state cabinet has approved the formation of a committee to examine the West Bengal Uniform Civil Code Bill, 2026. The committee headed by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai will have four weeks to examine it and then place it in the Assembly,” Paul told reporters after the cabinet meeting.

On June 29, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari informed the assembly that the UCC would soon be implemented in the state and referred to the setting up of a committee to examine the UCC bill.

In its election manifesto, the Bharatiya Janata Party promised to implement the UCC within six months of coming to power.

According to informed sources, the UCC is likely to ban polygamy, enforce gender equality in ancestral property rights and restrict child marriage. The proposed law is likely to introduce live-in relationships and propose registrations. The UCC Bill is likely to be tabled in the Assembly in August. The state government will take inputs from similar legislations in Assam, Uttarakhand and Gujarat.

The BJP government has also said that Adivasi communities will be left out of the UCC.

Both factions of Trinamool Congress opposed the implementation of UCC in the state.

Trinamool Congress president and former chief minister Mamata Banerjee asked party leaders to oppose the bill inside and outside the assembly. Opposition Leader Ritabrata Banerjee, who heads the rebel faction of the Trinamool Congress, also questioned the government’s rush, saying the bill on family laws and personal rights should undergo extensive public debate before being passed.

Published – 02 Jul 2026 23:09 IST