Retired IAS officer Shatrughna Singh joins Maharashtra UCC committee

Retired Uttarakhand IAS officer Shatrughna Singh has been named a member of Maharashtra’s Uniform Civil Code committee, the state government announced early this week. The appointment came after committee chairperson Ranjana Desai, a retired Supreme Court judge, moved a proposal to include him. A senior government official said Singh had previously worked with Desai on UCC consultations and understood the panel’s workings, prompting Desai’s request and the government’s approval. The official clarified that Singh’s entry is unrelated to the recent resignation of former Bombay High Court judge R.C. Chavan, who quit citing serious reservations about the panel’s methodology and its consensus‑building approach. There is no statutory rule that the panel must have exactly seven members; its size can vary. The Maharashtra UCC panel was set up two months ago to draft a framework for implementing the Uniform Civil Code. Its members include former High Court judge S.G. Mehare, ex‑chief secretary D.K. Jain, former advocate general Virendra Saraf, constitutional expert Ramesh Patange and educationist Suvarna Rawal. The group must examine legal, social, cultural and administrative aspects and submit a report within six months, also conducting a comparative study of other states that have adopted the code. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said the state will table the legislation during the winter session this year. Union Home Minister Amit Shah told a Mumbai audience that the UCC will be introduced in 21 states before 2029, the year of the next Lok Sabha elections.