Explainer: What Is the UCC Indians Are Talking About?

BY: NAFEES AHMAD

Debate over UCC: Supporters advocate one law for all, disregarding religious beliefs and customs for societal uniformity.

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Debate over UCC in India since its founding, constitutional provision as non-enforceable statement of intention.

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India's colonial era debated a single civil code, criminal laws standardized, while personal laws retained diversity.

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Post-colonial period saw Nehru and Ambedkar advocating for UCC in Constitution, facing resistance and limited public awareness.

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Law Commission report questions necessity of UCC, citing diversity as a reflection of democracy and embracing plural laws.

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India's Constitution upholds secularism, allowing freedom of religion while protecting cultural diversity and customary laws.

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Law Commission promotes gender equality, multiculturalism, and religious freedom through modified family laws, sans a single code.

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Article 44 mandates a uniform civil code, but courts cannot enforce it. It highlights the importance without imposing requirements.

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