Law Commission receives ‘overwhelming’ comments on UCC, allows 2 more weeks

The Law Commission has extended the deadline for public submissions on the Uniform Civil Code until July 28 due to overwhelming response.

The Law Commission has announced an extension to the deadline for public responses regarding the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) until July 28. Earlier, on June 14, the law panel had invited responses from organizations and the general public concerning the UCC. The original one-month deadline for submitting responses expired on Friday, leading to the extension.

At the time the Constitution was being framed, there was a 150-year-long history of communities being governed by their personal laws. Realising that the overhaul of such structures was impossible in one go, the framers of the Constitution left UCC as an aspirational goal (Shutterstock)

"In view of the overwhelming response from the public on the subject of Uniform Civil Code and numerous requests received from various quarters regarding the extension of time for submitting their comments, the Law Commission has decided to grant an extension of two weeks for the submission of views and suggestions by the concerned stakeholders," the Law Commission said in an official statement.

Any interested individual, institution or organisation may furnish comments on the UCC till July 28 on the commission's website, it said.

What is Uniform Civil Code?

A Uniform Civil Code is conceptualised as a set of laws that govern personal matters, including marriage, divorce, adoption, inheritance, and succession, for all citizens regardless of their religion. It aims to replace the existing diverse personal laws that vary based on religious affiliations.

An example of a difference in personal laws in India

The rights of women regarding inheritance differ based on their religion in India. Under the Hindu Succession Act of 1956, (which governs the rights of Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, and Sikhs) Hindu women have equal rights to inherit property from their parents and have the same entitlement as Hindu men. The rights of married and unmarried daughters are equal, and women are recognised as joint legal heirs for ancestral property partition. (ALSO READ | Succession law: Govt backs provision that prioritises husband’s kin)

Muslim women, governed by the Muslim Personal Law, are entitled to a share of their husband's property, which is either 1/8th or 1/4th, depending on the presence of children. However, daughters' share is half of that of sons.

For Christians, Parsis, and Jews, the Indian Succession Act of 1925 applies. Christian women receive a predetermined share based on the presence of children or other relatives. Parsi widows receive an equal share as their children, with half of the child's share going to the deceased's parents if they are alive.