West Bengal Set to Table Landmark UCC Bill, Reshaping Civil Laws

The West Bengal government is poised to usher in one of the most significant legal reforms in the state's history, with Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announcing that the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) will be implemented by following the constitutional and legislative framework adopted by Gujarat and Assam . The government is expected to introduce the UCC Bill in the Assembly on Monday during the ongoing Budget Session, well ahead of the BJP's six-month timeline promised in its election manifesto.

Speaking after a government programme marking the 189th birth anniversary of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay at College Street in Kolkata, Adhikari said the state would strictly adhere to the prescribed legal process for implementing the UCC. The proposal was reportedly finalised during a Business Advisory Committee meeting held in the Assembly on Thursday.

The BJP had made the Uniform Civil Code a key electoral promise during the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections , with Union Home Minister Amit Shah assuring its implementation within six months of the party assuming power. A cabinet minister said West Bengal would now join Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Assam, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra , which have initiated similar reforms.

The proposed legislation seeks to establish one common civil law governing marriage, divorce, maintenance, adoption, guardianship, inheritance and succession , replacing religion-specific personal laws. The reforms are rooted in Article 44 of the Directive Principles of State Policy , which encourages the State to work towards a Uniform Civil Code across the country.

Although the final draft of the Bill is yet to be made public, the government's repeated references to the Uttarakhand, Gujarat and Assam models indicate that it may introduce compulsory marriage registration , uniform divorce procedures , equal inheritance rights , common adoption and guardianship rules , and a digital civil registration system covering marriages, divorces, adoptions and succession records. Similar laws in other BJP-ruled states also provide for the registration of live-in relationships and prohibit polygamy , though these provisions will be confirmed only after the Bill is tabled.

Besides the UCC announcement, Adhikari paid tributes to Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay , composer of 'Vande Mataram' , and announced the establishment of a national-level 'Vande Mataram' Museum in Kolkata to commemorate 150 years of the iconic national song . The museum is expected to showcase the author's literary legacy and the historic role of Vande Mataram in India's freedom movement.