The Centre asking the Law Commission, a body that advises the government, to examine the possibility of a Uniform Civil Code and submit a report on it. The law commission will consult various stakeholders before submitting the report.

Currently, major religious groups in India have separate personal laws, which include matters such as marriage and inheritance. The Uniform Civil Code seeks to replace these separate codes and create a common law for every citizen.

Law Minister DV Sadananda Gowda had earlier said that discussions will be held with various personal law boards and other stakeholders to arrive at a consensus, reported PTI. “Even the Preamble of our Constitution and Article 44 of the Constitution do say that there should be a Uniform Civil Code...it needs to have a wider consultation," he had said. However, directive principles of the state policy are only guideline and not mandatory.

The Uniform Civil Code has been a contentious issue for a long time. The Bharatiya Janata Party had mentioned that it would bring in the code in its manifesto for 2014 Lok Sabha elections. However, opponents have said such a move would undermine the rights of religious minorities.