Rajasthan UCC panel poses 19 questions, seeks public input by July 25
Synopsis
Rajasthan is putting the Uniform Civil Code to public test — 19 questions, a statewide hearing circuit, and a 25 July deadline. The most contentious proposal: mandatory registration of live-in relationships. With Uttarakhand already having a UCC in place, how Rajasthan's consultation shapes its draft Bill will set a template for other BJP-governed states watching closely.
Key Takeaways
The Rajasthan UCC committee has invited public responses to 19 questions via an online portal, with submissions open until 25 July .
The panel is chaired by Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai , former judge of the Supreme Court of India .
Key proposals include mandatory registration of live-in relationships and uniform divorce grounds across all communities.
In-person hearings are being held at five divisional headquarters — Jaipur , Ajmer , Udaipur , Kota , and Bharatpur — between 7–14 July .
The draft UCC Bill is expected to be tabled in the next session of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly .
The Rajasthan government's high-powered committee on the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) has launched a public consultation exercise, seeking responses to 19 key questions through an online portal and divisional hearings, with the feedback deadline set at 25 July. The draft UCC Bill, shaped by public input, is expected to be tabled in the next session of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly.
What the Consultation Covers
The questionnaire spans a wide range of civil matters — marriage, divorce, inheritance, property rights, and live-in relationships. Among the most closely watched proposals is the mandatory registration of live-in relationships, with the committee also seeking views on whether legal provisions akin to divorce law should govern the dissolution of such partnerships.
Other questions probe public support for uniform grounds for divorce across all communities, a common maintenance law post-separation, and equal property rights for men and women irrespective of religion. The panel has also asked citizens whether they are aware of Article 44 of the Constitution — the directive principle that calls on the State to secure a Uniform Civil Code for all Indians.
The Committee and Its Mandate
The panel is chaired by Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, a former judge of the Supreme Court of India. Committee members are conducting in-person hearings at divisional headquarters across the state. In Jaipur, hearings are scheduled for 10–11 July under member Shatrughan Singh; in Ajmer, on 7 July under member Basant Singh Chhaba; in Udaipur, on 13–14 July under Chhaba; in Kota, on 7–8 July under member Ramswaroop Agarwal; and in Bharatpur, on 9–10 July under Agarwal.
Key Questions on the Questionnaire
The first ten questions, according to the committee's release, address: awareness of Article 44; constitutional validity of the UCC; general support for its implementation; scope (covering marriage, divorce, wills, inheritance, and live-in relationships); abolition of gender-discriminatory practices in personal laws; mandatory divorce registration; uniform divorce grounds; a common post-divorce maintenance law; whether the UCC would reduce family disputes; and equal property rights across communities.
How to Participate
Citizens can submit their views online through the state's dedicated UCC portal until 25 July, or attend the scheduled public hearings at divisional headquarters. Officials said the exercise is designed to ensure the proposed legislation reflects broad public opinion before it is formally introduced in the assembly. The committee will compile all feedback before finalising the draft Bill for the state government's consideration.
This comes amid a wider national debate on the UCC, with Uttarakhand having already enacted its own code in 2024 — the first state in independent India to do so. Rajasthan's move signals that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-governed states are advancing the issue with greater legislative momentum.
Point of View
Gender parity in personal laws, and inheritance rights signal that the committee is aware of the legal landmines ahead. Yet the real test is whether the feedback mechanism is genuinely deliberative or a legitimacy shield for a politically predetermined outcome. Uttarakhand's UCC, enacted in 2024, has already drawn legal challenges; Rajasthan's drafters would do well to address those fault lines rather than replicate the template. The live-in registration proposal, in particular, risks overreach — and any provision that effectively penalises unregistered couples could face a swift constitutional challenge on privacy grounds post the Supreme Court's Puttaswamy ruling.
NationPress
6 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Rajasthan UCC public consultation about?
The Rajasthan government's high-powered UCC committee has released a 19-question survey seeking public views on proposed civil law reforms covering marriage, divorce, inheritance, property rights, and live-in relationships. Citizens can respond online through the state's dedicated UCC portal until 25 July or attend in-person hearings at divisional headquarters.
What is the deadline to submit feedback to the Rajasthan UCC committee?
The online submission window closes on 25 July. In-person divisional hearings are scheduled between 7 and 14 July across Jaipur, Ajmer, Udaipur, Kota, and Bharatpur.
Who is heading the Rajasthan UCC drafting committee?
The committee is chaired by Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, a former judge of the Supreme Court of India. Other members conducting divisional hearings include Shatrughan Singh, Basant Singh Chhaba, and Ramswaroop Agarwal.
What is the proposal on live-in relationships in the Rajasthan UCC?
The committee is considering making registration of live-in relationships mandatory. It is also seeking public opinion on whether legal provisions similar to divorce law should apply when live-in partnerships end — a proposal that has drawn significant attention in the broader national UCC debate.
When will the Rajasthan UCC Bill be introduced in the assembly?
The draft Bill is expected to be presented during the next session of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly. The committee will first compile all public feedback before finalising the draft for the state government's consideration.
