# Maharashtra UCC Panel Rift Widens as Ex-IAS Shatrughan Singh Named Senior Advisor Following Justice Chavan Resignation

> Internal friction hits Maharashtra's seven-member Uniform Civil Code drafting panel as an ex-judge quits over an outsider's unnotified presence, prompting the state to formally induct the former bureaucrat.

**Type:** article · **Category:** Maharashtra · **Published:** 2026-09-24 · **Source:** TrendKia
**Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/maharashtra/maharashtra-ucc-kameti-men-gaharaya-antarika-vivada-justice-chavan-ke-istiphe-ke-bada-shatrughan-singh-bane-senior-advisor-37536 · **Language:** English
**Tags:** Uniform Civil Code, Maharashtra UCC, Justice RC Chavan, Shatrughan Singh, Justice Ranjana Desai, Maharashtra Government, UCC Draft

Internal friction within the seven-member high-level committee formed to draft the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in Maharashtra has burst into public view following the sudden resignation of former Bombay High Court judge Justice R. C. Chavan. The controversy erupted directly over the informal participation of retired IAS officer Shatrughan Singh during a critical strategy session. Just 48 hours after Justice Chavan stepped down in protest, the Maharashtra government moved swiftly to formalize Singh's role, designating him as a member-cum-senior advisor to the panel.

## Objections Raised Over Unofficial Participation in Closed-Door Meeting
The confrontation originated during the committee's second formal meeting held on September 19. Prior to the gathering, the circulated agenda and official email correspondence sent to members contained no intimation regarding the attendance of any external expert or advisor. However, Shatrughan Singh appeared at the meeting, where he was formally introduced to the members and invited to present inputs and procedural directions. Justice Chavan objected strenuously to the presence and role of an unnotified individual in official proceedings.

In his resignation letter, Justice Chavan questioned the capacity in which Singh attended and offered directions when he was not an officially designated member of the seven-person panel. The committee chairperson, former Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Desai, had invited Singh to participate as an advisor. Nevertheless, Justice Chavan took a strict procedural stance, viewing the intervention of a third party without any gazetted or formal standing as completely improper and contrary to governance norms, leading him to submit his resignation mere hours after the session concluded.

## Government Response and Formal Indication of Authority
The sudden resignation of a senior judicial figure pushed the state administration into swift damage control to resolve the procedural anomaly. On September 21, two days after the contentious meeting and subsequent exit, the Maharashtra government issued orders formally naming Shatrughan Singh as a member-cum-senior advisor to the drafting body. This administrative move effectively granted official sanction to his advisory position. Following the appointment, both committee chairperson Justice Ranjana Desai and Shatrughan Singh declined to comment on the controversy or the objections surrounding the appointment.

## Deliberations Over Public Questionnaire and Portal Accessibility
The September 19 meeting had centered around formulating a comprehensive public questionnaire designed to solicit feedback and gauge citizen sentiment across Maharashtra regarding the proposed UCC. Deliberations revealed distinct perspectives on how the questions should be framed. Justice Chavan recommended adopting a format dominated by subjective inquiries, arguing that descriptive questions would provide respondents the room to deliver nuanced opinions and detailed written feedback on delicate personal laws.

However, the committee ultimately opted for a hybrid methodology that incorporates both objective questions and subjective feedback points. Approximately three dozen questions are expected to feature in the final document, which will soon be released for broad public consultation. During the discussion, Singh raised concerns regarding the official website currently being developed for public feedback. He highlighted the necessity of refining the introductory explanatory text to help Maharashtra residents clearly comprehend UCC provisions, while urging that the questionnaire interface be organized so that ordinary citizens can access and navigate it effortlessly.

## What this means for you
This administrative restructuring directly influences how Maharashtra's Uniform Civil Code questionnaire is finalized and presented to the public.

- **In Maharashtra:** Citizens across the state will soon receive an online questionnaire featuring roughly three dozen questions. Residents will have the opportunity to submit their views on personal laws, marriage, and inheritance through a specialized portal.
- **Across India:** The procedural steps taken by Maharashtra serve as an influential benchmark for other states planning uniform civil frameworks. Observers across the country are tracking how the drafting committee structures public involvement.
- **Administrative Functioning:** The formal notification of an ex-bureaucrat as an advisor removes procedural vulnerabilities within the committee. Official recognition closes the loophole regarding outside guidance during deliberations.
- **Public Timeline:** Resolution of website design and questionnaire composition means the public consultation phase is moving closer to an official rollout.

## Why this happened
The internal rift in Maharashtra's UCC drafting committee was sparked by procedural objections against an unnotified non-member participating and giving guidance during closed-door sessions.

- **Unnotified Participation:** Retired IAS officer Shatrughan Singh attended the committee's second meeting on September 19 without prior notice in the agenda. Panel member Justice R. C. Chavan viewed this surprise appearance as a breach of protocol.
- **Objection to Guidance:** During the session, Singh was asked to share inputs and steer suggestions, prompting Justice Chavan to contest the authority of an individual who held no official post on the panel.
- **Framing of Questionnaire:** Methodological differences also existed regarding public feedback, as Justice Chavan advocated for deeply subjective questions while the wider committee chose a balanced format.
- **Administrative Rectification:** To address the procedural void created by Justice Chavan's resignation, the Maharashtra government formally designated Singh as a member-cum-senior advisor on September 21.

## Questions & Answers

### 1. Why did Justice R. C. Chavan resign from the Maharashtra UCC committee?
He resigned in protest against the unnotified presence and guidance of non-member retired IAS officer Shatrughan Singh during the September 19 meeting.

### 2. Who invited Shatrughan Singh to the committee meeting?
Committee chairperson and former Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Desai invited him to attend the meeting as an advisor.

### 3. What action did the Maharashtra government take after the resignation?
On September 21, the state government formally appointed Shatrughan Singh as a member-cum-senior advisor to the drafting committee.

### 4. What primary issue was being discussed during the September 19 meeting?
The meeting focused on finalizing the public questionnaire and reviewing the consultation website designed to gather feedback on the UCC.

### 5. How many questions will be included in the public UCC survey?
According to sources, the questionnaire prepared for public consultation will contain approximately three dozen questions.

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