Maharashtra UCC panel member quits, flags work ethic, non-member's involvement

Former Bombay High Court judge RC Chavan resigned from Maharashtra's Uniform Civil Code committee after raising concerns over its functioning and a non-member's presence in a meeting.Retired Justice RC Chavan Former Bombay High Court judge RC Chavan has resigned from the Maharashtra government-appointed committee tasked with preparing a draft for implementing the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the state, citing differences over the panel’s functioning and the approach taken to its work.Justice Chavan, who retired as a Bombay High Court judge in 2013, emailed his resignation to committee chairperson and retired Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Desai on September 19.The seven-member committee was formed in July to prepare draft rules and recommendations for implementing the UCC in Maharashtra. It has held a few meetings since its formation.RUSHED MEETINGSIn his resignation letter, Justice Chavan (74) questioned the way the committee’s meetings were being conducted, saying discussions were being wrapped up without substantive deliberation. Referring to one meeting, he wrote, "Considering the time so far lost it was indeed nice to have concluded today’s meeting quickly without beating around the bush."The meeting discussed several agenda items, including modifications to the committee’s website. A non-member was also present during the meeting after being referred to by the chairperson at an earlier meeting. The key issue, however, was the finalisation of a questionnaire intended to gather public views on the UCC.Justice Chavan said three members put forward suggestions, including making the responses limited to “yes or no” and having the questionnaire professionally reviewed by professors under committee member Dr Suvarna Rawal.But Chairperson Ranjana Desai had already circulated a questionnaire she had finalised and said it would be uploaded once the website was ready. Justice Chavan said he then logged out of the meeting.He said he had initially understood that the committee’s exercise was meant to gather views from people across Maharashtra and build consensus on issues such as late marriages, infertility, unstable marriages and delays in resolving disputes."Now that it is removed, I realise that the aim is to just provide an opportunity to people who may care, to share their responses in yes or no," he wrote.The retired judge also said that if the non-member who attended the meeting needed to be inducted into the panel, his resignation would create a vacancy that the government could fill.He said the experience had been a learning opportunity and wished the committee and people of Maharashtra well."Now as a free citizen, I will be free to air my views," Chavan wrote.JUSTICE CHAVAN’S VISION FOR UCCIn the letter, Justice Chavan said the UCC should focus on preserving the family while ensuring safety, security and gender equality. In his view, it should be gender-neutral, with terms such as "spouses" and "children" replacing husband-wife and son-daughter classifications.He said the code should be "areligious" without interfering with religious practices in private spaces, and should provide equal inheritance rights rather than distinctions between classes of heirs.Justice Chavan also proposed allowing consenting adults to define the terms of their intimate relationships through agreements, including separation, property, inheritance and responsibilities toward children and parents.He favoured easy voluntary registration of such relationships, while saying unregistered relationships should not qualify for certain state benefits or inheritance rights. He also said all children should be treated as legitimate, with biological or adoptive parents responsible for their education and support until they turn 18.- EndsPublished By: Devika BhattacharyaPublished On: Sep 22, 2026 12:51 IST