Retired IAS officer joins Maharashtra panel drafting Uniform Civil Code framework

Retired Indian Administrative Service officer Shatrughna Singh has been appointed to Maharashtra’s committee examining a Uniform Civil Code, the state government has approved. The proposal was made by committee chairperson Ranjana Desai, a retired Supreme Court judge, and was cleared earlier this week. A senior government official told The Hindu that Desai had previously worked with Singh during consultations on the Uniform Civil Code and had requested his inclusion because of his familiarity with the panel’s functioning.

The official said Singh’s appointment was unrelated to the recent resignation of retired Bombay High Court judge R.C. Chavan. Chavan had cited serious reservations about aspects of the committee’s functioning and criticised its methodology, including what he described as an emphasis on consensus-building that underplayed complex issues.

The official also said there was no statutory requirement for the committee to have a fixed number of members. Singh’s appointment therefore did not depend on Chavan’s departure, the official said. The Maharashtra committee was formed two months ago to draft a framework for implementing a Uniform Civil Code in the State.

Its members include former High Court judge S.G. Mehare, former Maharashtra chief secretary D.K. Jain, former advocate general Virendra Saraf, constitutional expert Ramesh Patange and educationist Suvarna Rawal.

The panel has been asked to examine the legal, social, cultural and administrative aspects of the proposed code and submit a report within six months. It will also compare the experiences of other States that have already implemented such a code. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said the State government plans to introduce legislation during the winter session.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said the Uniform Civil Code will be introduced in 21 States before 2029, according to the report.