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SC refers Sabrimala case to constitutional bench
The Supreme Court has referred the case on entry of women aged 10 to 50 years to the Ayyappa temple in Sabrimala, Kerala, to a constitutional bench. The constitutional bench has been referred five questions for determination, including whether the practice of excluding the female gender from entry to the temple amounts to violative of […]
ILO defends modern-slavery figures sought to be discredited by India
The International Labour Organisation has defended its statistics on modern slavery in the Asia-Pacific, after reports that the Intelligence Bureau had advised the Prime Minister’s office to discredit them, for fear that they may affect India’s exports. The ILO’s report on global estimates of modern slavery states that the Asia-Pacific region has the highest share […]
Himachal Pradesh and Odisha join Punjab, Haryana, Jharkhand and Meghalaya in the implementing the Anand Marriage Act
The Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Committee has announced that Odisha and Himachal Pradesh have become the latest states to implement the Anand Marriage Act, joining Punjab, Haryana, Jharkhand and Meghalaya. The Anand Marriage Act was enacted in 1909 by the British Imperial Legislative Council to legally recognise the marriage ceremony Anand Karaj, practiced among Sikhs. The […]
Bombay High Court directs a 3-member Committee to be set-up to assess the modified Manodhairya scheme
Bombay High Court directed a 3-member Committee to be set up to look into the changes made to the Manodhairya scheme by Maharashtra government in August this year. The said scheme provides compensation for victims of sexual assault and acid attack. Under the changes made to the scheme, the amount of compensation to the victims […]
Madhya Pradesh government offers Rs 2 lakh to those who marry a widow to encourage widow remarriage
In a bid to endorse widow remarriage, the Madhya Pradesh government has proposed a first of its kind initiative to offer Rs. 2 lakh to those who marry a widow. The MP government is offering a monetary incentive for those who marry a widow between the age of 18-45 years, given that it must be […]
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare publishes draft rules under Mental Healthcare Act
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued draft Rules and Regulations under the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017. Apart from stating the procedure for registration of mental health establishments, method of constitution of the Mental Health Review Boards, the rules delegate the responsibility of setting up half-way homes, sheltered accommodations, supported accommodations, hospitals and rehabilitation […]
Six month cooling off period for mutual consent divorce directory, not mandatory, holds SC
The Supreme Court has held that the cooling off period of six months that a married couple seeking a divorce by mutual consent is required to wait for under the Hindu Marriage Act, is merely directory, and not mandatory. Family Court judges can now waive this period provided that the parties have been living separately […]
Minor wife can prosecute husband for rape, holds Supreme Court
In a PIL seeking harmonization of the sexual assault laws under POCSO and IPC, the Supreme Court has held that a minor wife can prosecute her husband for rape. This judgment allows non-consensual sex with a wife under 18 years of age to be prosecuted as rape, thus aligning the provisions on statutory rape with […]
Kerala High Court denies plea of parents for custody of adult daughter, but restricts her freedom of movement and autonomy
Following the Hadiya case, the Kerala High Court has, in another case of a young adult women eloping with her partner with the intention of marrying him, ruled in favor of the girl’s choice while continuing to exercise severe restrictions over her movement and autonomy. In this case, the parents of the adult woman registered […]
Sikkim High Court declares all orders under Sikkim Succession Act 2008 null and void
As reported by PLD in its May-June newsletter, several Sikkimese women had filed a petition in High Court challenging the Sikkim Succession Act, 2008 for being discriminatory as it denies equal property rights to women married to non-Sikkimese men, or those who have acquired foreign citizenship. The Sikkim High Court has declared all orders arising […]