UCC on fast track in Gujarat: Report due soon, BJP eyes pre-local poll push
A high-level committee led by retired Supreme Court judge Ranjana Desai met with Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi in Gandhinagar on August 5, signalling fast-track action on the draft law.
The committee, tasked with assessing the feasibility and framework of a Common Civil Code for Gujarat, is now in its final phase, with Desai confirming that the report will be ready within a month, ruling out the need for any extension.
Speculation is rife that the UCC could be notified ahead of the upcoming municipal corporation elections, giving the BJP government a potential ideological edge in the urban polls.
A crucial meeting was held in Gandhinagar today between UCC Committee Chairperson Justice (Retd) Ranjana Desai and committee members with Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghvi.
Speaking after the meeting, Justice Desai said, 'We met the Governor on August 4 and the Chief Minister on August 5 in a formal interaction. While the exact date for submitting the report is yet to be fixed, it is likely to be submitted this month. As of now, there seems to be no need for an extension.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
18 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Prior nod of court needed for filing lawsuit by public beneficiaries in citizens' interest: SC
New Delhi, The Supreme Court on Tuesday said a prior nod from court was needed to file a lawsuit under the provision dealing with public charities of the Civil Procedure Code as the action was launched on behalf of public beneficiaries and that too in public interest. Prior nod of court needed for filing lawsuit by public beneficiaries in citizens' interest: SC The top court issued directions on the legal issues and dismissed an appeal filed by a society registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, which challenged the maintainability of a suit against it under Section 92 of the Code of Civil Procedure . Section 92 of the CPC deals with lawsuits relating to public charitable or religious trusts and permits legal action to be taken in cases of alleged breaches of trust, or when the court's direction is needed for the trust's administration. 'A suit under Section 92 of the CPC is a representative suit of a special nature since the action is instituted on behalf of the public beneficiaries and in public interest. Obtaining a 'grant of leave' from the court before the suit can be proceeded with, acts as a procedural and legislative safeguard in order to prevent public trusts from being subjected to undue harassment through frivolous suits being filed against them and also to obviate a situation that would cause a further wastage of resources which can otherwise be put towards public charitable or religious aims,' a bench comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan said. Writing 168-page, Justice Pardiwala, however, pointed out at the stage of grant of leave, the court neither adjudicates upon the merits of the dispute nor confers any substantive rights upon the parties. 'A trust can be said to have been created for a 'public purpose' when the beneficiaries are the general public who are incapable of exact ascertainment. Even if the beneficiaries are not necessarily the public at large, they must at least be a classified section of it and not a pre-ascertained group of specific individuals,' it said. The special nature of the suit under Section 92 requires it to be filed fundamentally on behalf of the public for the vindication of public rights, it said. 'Therefore, courts must go beyond the reliefs and also give due regard to the object and purpose for which the suit is brought. The true nature of the suit must be determined on a comprehensive understanding of the facts of the matter and a hard-and-fast rule cannot be made for the same,' it said. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Hindustan Times
18 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Bengaluru metro's yellow line to open on Aug 10: Check stations, timings and fare
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate Bengaluru Namma Metro's Yellow Line on August 10 in the city, BJP MP Tejasvi Surya announced on Sunday. The stations on the line include key hubs like Silk Road and BTM Layout.(HT Photo/Sakib Ali) 'Hon. PM Sri @narendramodi Ji's visit to Bengaluru on August 10 will be a landmark moment for Bengaluru South. He will not only inaugurate the long-awaited Yellow Line Metro operations but also lay the foundation stone for Metro Phase 3 - a project that received Cabinet approval within the first 100 days of his third term,' Surya said in a post on X. The Yellow Line metro project meets the August 15 deadline which had been decided for its completion. Surya said that this was possible due to PM Modi's personal insistence that the metro line be opened for public without delay. Yellow Line Stations, timings and fare The Yellow Line, which covers a distance of 19.15 km from RV Road to Bommasandra, comprises 16 stations on the route and has been built at a cost of ₹5,056.99 crore. The stations on the line, which include key hubs, are – RV Road, Ragi Gudda, Jayadeva Hospital, BTM Layout, Central Silk Board, Bommana Halli, Hongra Sandra, Kudlu Gate, Singa Sandra, Hosa Road, Beratena Agrahara, Electronic City, Infosys Foundation Konappana Agrahar, Huskur Road, Hebba Godi and Bommasandra, according to News18. The trains on the line will run between 5 am and 11 pm, which is the same as the operational hours for the rest of the metro network, according to the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL). The trains will run at 25-minute intervals, with three driverless train sets on the network initially, according to a Deccan Herald report. The maximum fare charged for the metro line will be ₹90, while the minimum fare will stand at ₹10. The daily ridership for the Yellow Line after its launch is expected to be around 25,000 passengers, with an expected daily revenue of ₹10-15 lakh.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
18 minutes ago
- Business Standard
SC strikes down Centre's EIA waiver for educational constructions
The Supreme Court on Tuesday struck down the Centre's notification that had exempted educational buildings from obtaining prior environmental clearance. A Bench of Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran struck down a part of the Centre's 29 January 2025 notification that had exempted construction projects related to industrial sheds, schools, colleges, and hostels from obtaining prior environmental clearance under the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006. EIA is a process used to evaluate the potential environmental consequences of a proposed project or development before it is undertaken. The Bench said the exemption was arbitrary and contrary to the purpose of the Environment Protection Act. The rest of the notification was upheld. 'We see no reason behind the exemption of the 2006 notification for the industry and educational buildings. If any construction activity in an area of more than 20,000 sq m (square metres) is carried out, it will naturally have an effect on the environment, even if the building is for educational purpose. We see no reason to discriminate the other buildings with the buildings constructed for industrial or educational purposes. It is common knowledge that education is no more a merely service-oriented profession. It is common knowledge that education has nowadays also become a flourishing industry,' the apex court observed. The Court had earlier stayed the operation of the notification in a public interest litigation filed by the non-government organisation Vanashakti. The stay had also applied to an Office Memorandum dated 30 January 2025, which had clarified that the amended notification would also apply to Kerala. Under the EIA, any building or construction project with a built-up area equal to or greater than 20,000 sq m requires prior environmental clearance. The challenged notification had amended Clause 8 of the schedule to the 2006 EIA Notification and introduced Note 1 to Clause 8(a). The amendment stated that projects such as industrial sheds, schools, colleges, and hostels for educational institutions would not require prior environmental clearance if measures such as sustainable environmental management, solid and liquid waste management, and rainwater harvesting were put in place. The apex court, in its judgment, observed that development must be balanced with environmental protection. 'A country cannot progress unless development takes place. This Court, in a catena of decisions, has adopted the principle of sustainable development,' it said. The Court also rejected the Centre's argument that guidelines exist to ensure such projects would follow environmental safeguards. 'We are of the view that the exemption of applicability of the 2006 notification to the projects and activities qua industrial sheds, schools, colleges, hostels, and educational institutions does not appear to be in tune with the purpose of the Environment Protection Act,' the Court observed. The Court was hearing a petition filed by Vanashakti challenging both the 29 January 2025 notification and the subsequent Office Memorandum. Vanashakti had argued that the government was trying to dilute the EIA regime for building and construction projects, after making similar efforts in 2014, 2016, and 2018 that were stayed or quashed by courts.
