UNIFORM CIVIL CODE: CONSTITUTIONAL MADATE OR POLITICAL AGENDA

Published On: September 9th 2025

Authored By: Shubhashree Panda
SOA National Law University, Bhubhneshwar

Abstract

The question of the uniform civil code continued as one of the most debate and sensitive subjects in legal socio-landscape. Article 44 of India Constitution provide a civic code for all the citizens, which one finds out of stock of existing luminants from a common group of a common group. While the constitutional square represents the instrument to achieve national integration, equality and justice they can devote them as a minority identity. This article explains if the cap represented a constitutional construction or mainly function as a mobilized political program during election and ideological battles. If you ate in historical, constituted disposal, declare judicial decency, political and socio-and -culty dynamize that form the burrow.

Pretentation

India is a nation characterized by a deep variety – Religious, ethnicity and cultural. Indian constitution hydrators recognized this diversity and tried to accrued in the frame of a republic democratic day. One of the persistent questions of this accommodation was the role of personal laws that rules family and religious matters. This provision, bravery furnished by the constitution, politically and sensitive restoration. Arguments that are not contradictory arguments: A facility the constitutional morality and one’s sexualizing and other which choices to religious and cultural rights and minority. The debate about the chop, travels the intersection of the constitutional mandatory and political agendas. While the cattle and the constitutional sugar is approval the possibility of the cap, political parties are instructed to an opportunity manner or opportunity basic consolable. This article is critical to this item if u initial constitutional need to be implemented or a political story to be handled for phaticity goals.

Historical context was pre-constituent

India’s legal system included some personal religious quarters as the wedding and adoption. During the British colony rule, administration introduced a demonym of government system – to curve the laws and lecturers. Colonial administration refused to interfere with personal religious laws to avoid religious antagonization. The 1840’s Lex Report by recommend a uniform cutting of sacraments, but with the purpose of excluding marriage and petrous. This double system has put the fundaments of the personal law of the personal law of India. Debate in component assembly

The idea of an IC was actively in the constituent assembly. The main debate focused on the balance of religious freedom and social reform. Dr B.R. Ambedkar, President of the Editorial Committee, declared a cap to promote national integration and justice of sex. He believed that the freight-perpetuals-perpetuated deputy-perpetual depths, especially on women. The opponents as Mohamed Ismail Adam have supported that a disruption moist the religious freedom under item 25 and interfere with personal religious practices. To find a balance, have ab-based on the principles of the state of the state of the state’s (part IV) rather than make a reasonable fundamental right.

India, being a diuretic and democratic republic, receives the religious, cultural and personal and personalized. These personal laws regulate the questions, the manager, inheritance, inheritance, abomination would be referring to a religious community. In the middle of this legal pluralism, the idea of a uniform male code (ach) has been deducted. Claiming to replace these different personal laws with a set of rules that rule personal questions, applicable to all citizens, lunch or belief. This refuelling requests a major constitutional debate – which ab is Upfit Constitutional to ensure the national equal and integration or motivated political program. This writer has a purpose of conditionally cuspidalization, I know their historical story, his historical property and used legal statement as a policer instrument. Historical context

The concept of a unsolicited civil code dated the collisional period when the British, while the ledge coding, preserved the Personal laws. After independence, India leaders planned the necessity of a cap to promote social reform and national unit. During the rumination of the Constitution, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and other members of the constituted assembra planus a cut, stressing that if freedom to be interest able, you should not stop the deviate and justice and justice. However, produced in your socio-political sensibility, the idea of article 44 of the State policy (DPP) Directory principles rather than to make an explanation of the fundamental. Constitutional provision: Item 44

Article 44 of India Constitution can be readily read:

“The State strike to guarantee the citizens a uniform civile code throughout the territory of India.”

It’s a principle of the woman’s domestic and, so not relegable (apply for courts. Yet, creates an important directive on the governance and legal reform. The goal after article 44 is to promise units and integrating those personal laws not mix the citizens in citizen lines of civil rights. Interprets of judicial

Indian judgment has now commented on the possibility of a bomb:

In the case of Shah Bano (1985), the upper jump confirmed the right of a Muslim woman in an interview under 1973, however independence. The court-appointment of a lack of a couple and held that will help you promote the national unfair to remove conducted based on religious ideology. Dans Sarla Mudgal v. Union of India (1995), a mourn shot expressed a strong support for implementation of an arguable, essential oppressed and recessing protection.

Imp emption of Schake are always are a personnel source:

Political parties have historically adopted. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was a vowel of the vowel of the mock comprising in their election claims. The party asks that a cap essential to ensure gender’s justice, equalities before the national laws and integration. For the other side, some political and religious groups, in organic prosecutors, consider considered papers freedom and religious identity. They pretend to be a way of imposed the civilized values of the majority on munity. This polarization has led to the question of if notice to the is really motivated by a constitutional commitment or you have the purpose of eating some specific communities.

Uniform of civil code: delivery or agenda? Arguments for ab as a constitutional send:

I have prior to the law: the constitution guarantees the equality-based incrassation, race, caste, sex or place (articles of xvie). Personal laws discriminating women and marginal groups violating this beginning. Leucite: India is a century (as per preparation). Allow personal religious laws to dictate the civil matters miner ate the secondary. Judicial approval: The judgments of the Supreme Court have repeatedly recognized the importance of a UCC to ensure equality and justice. National Integration: AB promote the national unit to treat all the citizens even in personal matters. The arguments suggesting as a political program:

Peete Selective: Discussing elections that inch have risen the pains of the election or community tensions, suggestions its use as political tool. The lack of consensus: The lack of constructive dialogue and efforts to complete the minority communities show political motivations that a real reform target. I am afraid of the Impulsion of the Imp union: poses feel like to the claim of the many after close account closed. No matter questions: Criticism argues as the questions as education, health and poor larger than the most personal laws. The latest developments

In the legal commission of the 2023, India searched the public on the burrows of a borer. The central government has driven by the bjp also expressed their intention to provide a project, but with no franc ate details. Uttarakhand, a State BJP, formed a committee to write a cap for the state, potentially creation a previous one. Such initiatives have revised revelations if the schedule and access are politically motivated or guided by the constitution.

Constitutional

Article 44:

“The State strike to guarantee the citizens a uniform civile code throughout the territory of India.”

Key aspects:

Force the state to “Strive”, indicating a non -tap directive but important. I’m trying to replace numerous personal laws with a common civil code apply to all citizens. One of the scores of the state policy, which are essential to the governance, but not justify in front of the courts (Item 37). The principles of the entered, also is not applicable, lead the development Conflict with item 25: the freedom of religion

Item 25 guarantees each individual in awareness of awareness and the right to have primly, to prose in a public way, morality. The critics discusses that a violet. Religious freedom from uniformity on personal laws in essentially related to the related doors. However, the judicial grip has created a distinction between religious participations and sequacious-gross activities. Although religious freedom is protected, personal laws of personal law are open to legislative reform. Judicial statements and approval

Indian judicial always sustained the possibility of a sub while recognizing their sensitive nature. The visible cases include:

Mohd Ahmed Khan v. Shah Bano Begum (1985)

In this historical case, the suprema’s right-handed to a Muslim woman in the interview in the interview under the code 125 (CRPC), Border in the complaints of staff. Judge Y.V. Chandrachud noticed:

“A common civil code will help the national integration remove various loyalty to the laws having contradictory ideology.

This caused generalized contradiction, carried the proclamation 1986 (protection of Muslim rights (devilling divorce rights), which diluted the jury below.

Sarla Mudgal v. Union of India (1995)

The court addressed the big case for Hindu men returning to Islam for personal ledge bypass. The court prayed strong for ab, observing:

“When they are more than a law of a revenue, there will be contradictions and ab need to promise the nation’s unit and integrity.[1]

Jose Paulo Coutinho v. Mary luna valentina beeira (2019)

The invalid courts the only one for item 44 water after 63 years of decadence, called a constitution able constitutional repellent.[2] The latest developments are:

In the 2023-24, some public food and drawing public food reversed the ach problem reflected their stable porcelaneous. The judiciary has maintained their recommended ass position as constitutional need. Political speech: political agenda or constitutional duties? The Baby Babs often overcome constitutional considerations, becoming a political point. The appropriate policy and ab

National matches justified, especially Bhartiya sedate (bjp), they always protected inch Is part of their ideological council of cultural nationalism and national integration. BJP included cack in their election claims, in the which they drive it as an essential of justice between the overall or rulers or secular. The criticisms discuss that this prayer is properly motivated and politically detected, often encase vote of the hind ration of the national integration’s undying description. Secular and Minority Policy

Live parties and minor minority opposite the location consider an insult for the rights of religious and minority freedom. They rock the lawned fabric of the legal India and taxes of an uniform code imposing a uniform code imposes different cultural practices These groups often have moviedom chopped as a political tool to retain the exemption from the head as an anti-mine or community. Legislative

In spite of their presence in the constitution and incentives reposted, subsequent spectacles – state were removed from an electoral and disorder advermation Tum remains a political promise called during elections, but seldom continued legislative. Contemporary developments

The initiative of Uttarakhand

In the 2024, the UTARKHAND government became the first state to type uniform civil code, cover, divorce, heritage, residence relationships, application. This decision fits a national debate on party the constitutional validity and political purpose. Some other messages and India dissident has been responding to examine the implication of the wrong implementation in the national level. The laws of the law commission

The 21st Commission of law (Pass) concluded that a Coll was neither is draper further have to the supplies suggested and record in personal ledge. On the other hand, he has commissioner’s legging to the field in public train, showing his important statement of politicism.

Analysis: Send constitutional to political agenda

In favour of the constitutional

The presence of Article 44 in the constitution reflects the legal college vision in legal matters in threads and equality of national integration. It is lined with the constitutional principles of equality (item 14) and gender justice. The difference between the religious freedom and secular personal laws makes a valid constitutional perpet. International rights of the human rights also advised not -discrimination and uniformity in the personal law.

As a political agenda

Selective political mobilizing of a particularly especially during elections, often reduce the community request rather than a legal reform. The account often reflects the need of reforms in community and is disproportionally focused on personal minority laws.

Conclusion

The uniform civic code incarnates a constitutional sentence provided in Article 44 to obtain national integration, uniform and uniformly fair. The judiciary always recognized as he is held to maintain the moral constitutions. However, his journey has been damaged by political opportunity, sensitivity and legal pluralism. Yet the ach desired by the constitution, its implementation requires a roughness approach, complex and progress to the variety of India. The initiatives of the recent state and consultations of the right-handed displaces a renewal emphasis to overcome political rhetorical, incur empirically a pair of lawsuits considered and social consent, rather than a polarization. The future of the Own in India then depends on the constitutional pluralisms with the precious pluralism of turning, exultance as a grocer.

The uniform civil code is undoubted a constitutional delivered to assume equality, the joy of the gender and national ideas. Items 44 reflects the vision of the constitution of a progressive company where civil rights are uniform, independent of religion. However, his retail, related implementation, related to the requested policy, misty bones about the purposes of his honey. The lack of a dialog including, the time of its extirpation including community police that are often attached to the design as a political day. Insidiously, as the Spiritual Sista the principle of constitutions, its practical container must be transparent, programming and sensitive to the plural structure of India. You should approach the political mileage but as the progressive legal reform required to ensure equality and justice for all citizens.

References

  1. Constitution of Inndia, 1950.
  2. Ahmed Khan v. Shah Bano Begum, AIR 1985 SC 945.
  3. Sarla Mudgal v. Union of India (1995) 3 SCC 635.
  4. John Vallammottam v. Union of India, (2003) 6 SCC 611.
  5. National Commission Review the working of the Constitution (NCRWC) Report, 2002.
  6. Basu, D.D.Introduction to the Constitution of India , Lexis Nexis, 2023.

[1] Sarla Mudgal v. Union of India (1995)

[2] Jose Paulo Coutinho v. Mary luna valentina beeira (2019)

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