Guwahati: Former Chief Justice of India and Rajya Sabha member Ranjan Gogoi has said the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) is an “important step towards national integration”.
He, however, said it should come into effect after building consensus among people.
Addressing a session at “Surat Litfest 2025”, the ex-CJI said, “I see Uniform Civil Code as a very progressive piece of legislation which will replace diverse customary practices that have evolved into law.”
If implemented, UCC would establish a single set of personal laws for all citizens, regardless of their faith. It would apply to matters like marriage, divorce, adoption, inheritance, and maintenance.
A uniform civil code in India has been a key agenda of successive election manifestos of the ruling BJP.
The civil code is a way to bring the nation together and tackle the pendency of cases caused by various laws governing civil and personal matters, affecting social justice, Gogoi said.
On the ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal, Gogoi said former President Ram Nath Kovind had sought the opinion of 4-5 former CJIs, including him, and he supported the idea.
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“The number one reason why I support it is governance. Every year some election is going on …Every year the country gets into election mode, which means MCC (mode code of conduct). The ministers have to perform their electioneering duties and the administration stops. All these affect governance,” he said.
Election fatigue due to frequent polls is among the other reasons why he backs the idea, Gogoi said.
