- West Bengal government forms 9-member expert committee for UCC draft.
- Retired Justice Ranjana Desai to chair Uniform Civil Code panel.
- Tribal communities to remain outside proposed UCC Bill scope.
The West Bengal government has formed a 9-member expert committee headed by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai to examine, review and finalise the draft of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill, West Bengal, 2026.
The proposed legislation is likely to be introduced during the August session of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly. However, tribal communities are expected to remain outside the scope of the proposed law.
"A committee headed by retired Supreme Court Justice Ranjana Desai has been formed. It will begin its work and submit its findings soon. The UCC (Uniform Civil Code) has been implemented in the state. It is one nation, so there will be one law. There cannot be two sets of laws. It is crystal clear," CM Suvendu Adhikari said.
#WATCH | Baruipur | West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari says, "A committee headed by retired Supreme Court Justice Ranjana Desai has been formed. It will begin its work and submit its findings soon. The UCC (Uniform Civil Code) has been implemented in the state. It is one nation, so… pic.twitter.com/7dROM9baze
— ANI (@ANI) July 11, 2026
In a notification issued on Friday, the state government stated that the committee has been constituted to conduct a detailed review of the draft bill before it is placed before the Assembly.
The notification mentioned that, considering the wide-ranging impact and detailed nature of the subject, the Governor found it necessary to set up a committee of experts to comprehensively examine and review the draft Uniform Civil Code, West Bengal, 2026.
Members Of The UCC Committee
The committee comprises:
- Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai - Retired Supreme Court Judge (Chairperson)
- Tathagata Roy - Former Governor of Meghalaya
- Dushyant Naraiala - IAS, Resident Commissioner
- Shatrughna Singh - Retired IAS Officer
- Sanghamitra Ghosh - Principal Secretary, Home and Hill Affairs
- Dr Ratna Bhattacharya - Retired Anthropology Professor
- Gopalchandra Mishra - Former Vice Chancellor, Gour Banga University
- Osman Ghani Mallick - Advocate, Calcutta High Court
- Nirmalya Bhattacharya - Former Executive Director
Purpose Of The Uniform Civil Code Bill
According to the government notification, the proposed UCC aims to establish a common legal framework for personal civil matters applicable to all residents of West Bengal, regardless of religion, faith or community.
The bill is expected to replace separate personal laws related to issues such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, succession and adoption with a single legal framework.
However, constitutional protections and exemptions for certain categories, including tribal communities, will continue.
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Suvendu Adhikari’s Election Promise
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced the decision to implement the UCC in the state Assembly earlier this week. The move fulfils a key promise made in the BJP’s election manifesto, which had promised to introduce the bill within six months of forming the government in West Bengal.
Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai has previously headed UCC committees in Uttarakhand and Gujarat and is currently leading similar panels in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.
Officials said the West Bengal committee will study existing UCC models, with special attention to the Assam model, as both states face similar demographic and migration-related challenges.