Term of 22 Law Commission ends today; UCC report still in works

New Delhi, Aug 31 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA) Even as the term of the 22nd Law Commission comes to an end on Saturday, the key report on the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) is still being worked upon. In the absence of a Chairperson, the report on UCC is believed to be delayed. The outgoing Commission last year, had initiated fresh consultations on UCC. However, a report on simultaneous elections is said to be ready but cannot be submitted. A high-level committee headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind presented a report on ‘One Nation, One Election’ in March. The Chairperson’s position fell vacant after (retired) Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi was appointed to the Lok Pal, the anti-corruption watchdog, in March this year. In the absence of a Chairperson, the report cannot be submitted. In his Independence Day speech this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that a common code, which he called a “secular civil code” is the need of the hour for India. He also dubbed the existing set of laws as “communal civil code,” calling them discriminatory in nature. The Prime Minister went on to say that laws which divide the country on communal lines and become reason for inequality have no place in a modern society. The Directive Principles of State Policy under Article 44 of the Constitution clarifies that it is the duty of the state to secure for the citizens a Uniform Civil Code throughout the territory of India. Recently, the state of Uttarakhand came out with its own UCC. A Uniform Civil Code in India has been a key agenda of successive BJP manifestos. —