"Informal" Ministers' Panel To Look Into Uniform Civil Code: Sources

In the first concrete step towards introducing a Uniform Civil Code, the central government has formed an "informal" group of ministers (GoM) to deliberate on the various aspects of the reform, which aims to replace personal laws based on religion with a common set of laws for all citizens, sources have told NDTV.

The panel comprises four ministers who have been assigned different domains related to the uniform civil code. Earth Sciences Minister Kiren Rijiju has been given the charge of the group and will deal with issues concerning tribals, they said.

Smriti Irani, the Minister of Women and Child Development, will handle matters related to women's rights. G Kishan Reddy, the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Development of North Eastern Region, will address issues about the northeastern states. Arjun Ram Meghwal, Minister of Law and Justice, will look into the legal aspects of the uniform civil code.

The ministers met on Wednesday to discuss the modalities and challenges of drafting and implementing a uniform civil code. They also consulted some chief ministers of the northeastern states, where personal laws are prevalent among various ethnic groups. The Group of Ministers is expected to submit its report to Prime Minister Narendra Modi soon.

This is seen as the first concrete step taken by the central government towards fulfilling its promise of a uniform civil code, which was also part of its election manifesto in 2019. PM Modi had advocated for a uniform civil code at an event in Madhya Pradesh last week, saying that it would strengthen national integration and social harmony.

The comment ignited a fierce debate on the subject, including reservations voiced by allies of the BJP in the northeast, who fear the erosion of India's cultural diversity. The government has hinted that communities of the northeast as well as tribals may be left out of the proposal's scope.