The Madhya Pradesh Cabinet on Sunday approved the draft Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill. It will be tabled in the Assembly during the Monsoon Session beginning Monday.
After the Cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said the government was fully prepared to present the Bill in the Assembly. He emphasised that equality has always been an integral part of Indian culture and values, and that this step had been taken in line with that spirit.
Madhya Pradesh had constituted a high-level committee under retired Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai to frame the provisions of the UCC. Formed on April 27, 2026, the committee studied UCC models of different states, existing laws and social aspects. A web portal was launched on May 22, 2026, to invite suggestions. More than 50 public consultations were held at the district and state levels. According to the government, the portal received 958,675 suggestions, while more than 1,100 were collected through meetings.
The government claims that 93.54 per cent of respondents supported the implementation of the UCC in Madhya Pradesh. It said 92.20 per cent favoured equal laws for men and women across communities, 91.32 per cent supported ending discriminatory divorce provisions, and 92.66 per cent backed equal property rights for men and women.
Recently, while advocating the UCC in Indore, the chief minister remarked: “If Ram marries once, why should Rahim marry two, three, or four times? Muslim women are also our sisters.” He added that in Madhya Pradesh, only those who have one legal marriage will have the right to reside. The code also mandates the registration of every marriage and live-in relationship.
