A Uniform Civil Code (UCC) is a proposal in India to formulate and implement personal laws of citizens which apply to all citizens equally regardless of their religion, gender, and sexual orientation. The UCC calls for the formulation of one law for India, which would be applicable to all religious communities in matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, and adoption. The code comes under Article 44 of the Constitution, which lays down that the state shall endeavor to secure a Uniform Civil Code for the citizens throughout the territory of India. However, the implementation of a UCC has been a topic of debate in India, with some proponents seeking to replace Indias religious and customary laws governing marriage, divorce, and inheritance with one code that applies to all communities, while opponents argue that it would destroy Indias diversity. The Law Commission of India stated on August 31, 2018, that a uniform civil code is "neither necessary nor desirable at this stage" in a 185-page consultation paper, adding that secularism cannot contradict the plurality prevalent in the country.