DECODING THE UNIFORM CIVIL CODE: EVOLUTION, IMPLICATIONS AND CHALLENGES IN CONTEMPORARY INDIA
AUTHOR – SHIVANAND SINGH* & DR. ARVIND KUMAR SINGH**,
STUDENT* & PROFESSOR** AT AMITY UNIVERSITY LUCKNOW
BEST CITATION – SHIVANAND SINGH & DR. ARVIND KUMAR SINGH, DECODING THE UNIFORM CIVIL CODE: EVOLUTION, IMPLICATIONS AND CHALLENGES IN CONTEMPORARY INDIA, INDIAN JOURNAL OF LEGAL REVIEW (IJLR), 5 (1) OF 2025, PG. 1328-1342, APIS – 3920 – 0001 & ISSN – 2583-2344.
Abstract
The Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in India represents one of the most contentious constitutional directives that has witnessed renewed political and judicial attention in recent years. This research paper critically examines the evolution, implications, and challenges of implementing a UCC in contemporary India’s pluralistic socio-legal landscape. Drawing on Parashar’s (2013) analysis of personal laws as sites of contestation and Mahmood’s (2021) framework of religious freedom, this study navigates the tension between constitutional uniformity and cultural diversity. The research evaluates how the UCC debate has transformed from a post-colonial nation-building imperative, as articulated by Mehta (2018), into a complex negotiation of gender justice, religious autonomy, and national identity. Building upon Menon’s (2022) feminist critique of personal laws and Krishnaswamy’s (2019) constitutional analysis, this paper investigates how successive governments, courts, and civil society have engaged with Article 44 of the Constitution. Through a mixed-methods approach combining legal analysis, historical review, and comparative assessment of similar legal harmonization efforts in multicultural democracies, this study offers insights into possible frameworks for reconciling unity and diversity in India’s legal architecture. The findings suggest that a nuanced, incremental approach to legal reform that addresses gender inequities while respecting cultural distinctiveness may provide a more viable pathway toward constitutional goals than a sweeping, homogenizing code.