Daughters have equal birthright to inherit property: Supreme Court

sfg-2026
ForumIAS LATEST
  1. 22 May |The Last e-Meet before Prelims 2026 Click Here to register
  2. 17 May | ABC of Indian Sociology Series | 'H' = HAROLD COULD | Sociology Optional Simplified Click Here
  3. 15 May | If You Are Giving Prelims 2026, Watch This Before Entering the Exam Hall Click Here to listen to Ayush Sir's advice →

News: The Supreme Court held that daughters, like sons, have an equal birthright to inherit joint Hindu family property. 

Facts: 

  • The Court ruled that a Hindu woman’s right to be a joint heir to the ancestral property is by birth and does not depend on whether her father was alive or not when the law was enacted in 2005. 
  •  The Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 2005 gave Hindu women the right to be coparceners or joint legal heirs in the same way a male heir does. 

Additional facts: 

Hindu Succession Act, 1956 

  • The Mitakshara school of Hindu law codified as the Hindu Succession Act, 1956 governed succession and inheritance of property but only recognised males as legal heirs. 
  • In 2005, the law was amended and women were recognised as coparceners or joint legal heirs for partition 
Print Friendly and PDF
Blog
Academy
Community