Family Law-I

HINDU LAW – BRIEF SUMMARY

UNIT – I: Joint Family and Property

  • Application & Sources of Hindu Law: Includes Shruti, Smriti, customs, and modern judicial decisions.
  • Schools: Mitakshara and Dayabhaga—differences in inheritance and rights.
  • Hindu Joint Family: A unit comprising lineal descendants and common ancestors.
  • Coparcenary: Only male members under Mitakshara (now amended) and their rights.
  • Classification of Property: Ancestral vs. self-acquired.
  • Karta: Head of joint family—powers, duties, and liability.
    • Alienation of property: Karta vs. Coparcener’s rights and limits.
    • Right to challenge: Coparceners can dispute improper transfers.
    • Rights of Alienees: Legal remedies in case of invalid alienation.

🔹 Leading Cases:

  • Harihar Prasad v. Balmika Prasad (AIR 1975 SC 733)
  • K.S. Subhiah Pillai v. Commissioner of IT (AIR 1999 SC 1220)

UNIT – II: Hindu Marriage

  • Nature & Evolution: Sacred and contractual perspectives.
  • Hindu Marriage Act, 1955: Governing statute.
  • Essential Conditions: Age, mental soundness, prohibited degrees.
  • Ceremonies & Registration: Legal formalities for recognition.
  • Remedies:
    • Restitution of conjugal rights
    • Void/Voidable marriages
    • Divorce and judicial separation
  • Ancillary Reliefs: Alimony, child custody, maintenance.

🔹 Leading Cases:

  • Kailashwati v. Ayudhia Parkash (AIR 1977 PLR 216)
  • Naveen Kohli v. Neelu Kohli (2006) 4 SCC 558

UNIT – III: Hindu Succession and Partition

  • Hindu Succession Act, 1956 & 2005 Amendment: Equality to daughters.
  • Rules of Succession: Separate rules for males and females.
  • Mitakshara Coparcenary Rights: Succession and survivorship.
  • Partition: Rights, subject matter, mode (actual vs. notional), partial partition, re-opening, re-union.

🔹 Leading Cases:

  • Raghuvamma v. Chenchamma (AIR 1964 SC 136)
  • CIT v. Chandersen (AIR 1986 SC 1753)

UNIT – IV: Guardianship & Adoption

  • Minority & Guardianship (HMG Act, 1956): Natural, testamentary, de facto, certified, and by affinity.
  • Adoption (HAMA, 1956):
    • Conditions & Procedure
    • Legal Effects
    • Maintenance: Personal obligation and dependent’s right
    • Property as source for maintenance

🔹 Leading Cases:

  • G. Appaswami Chettiar v. R. Sarangapani (AIR 1978 SC 1051)
  • Githa Hariharan v. RBI (1999) 2 SCC 228

Exam Pattern Summary

  • Total Marks: 80
  • Duration: 3 Hours
  • Question Paper Structure:
    • Section 1–4: Two questions from each Unit (choose 1 per section) – 14 marks each
    • Section 5: 8 short questions (compulsory, 3 marks each)
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