{"id":80801,"date":"2024-01-27T22:20:56","date_gmt":"2024-01-27T16:50:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/?post_type=current-affairs&#038;p=80801"},"modified":"2025-03-03T12:10:55","modified_gmt":"2025-03-03T06:40:55","slug":"sapinda-marriage-hindu-marriage-act","status":"publish","type":"current-affairs","link":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/current-affairs\/sapinda-marriage-hindu-marriage-act","title":{"rendered":"What Are Sapinda Marriages?"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Context:\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recently, the Delhi High Court rejected a challenge to the constitutionality of <\/span><b>Section 5(v) of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 (HMA)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which prohibits marriage between Hindus if they are <\/span><b>&#8220;sapindas&#8221;<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of each other.<\/span><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 100.201%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"width: 100%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: rgba(184, 165, 217, 0.53); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle;\">\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt; color: #000000;\"><b>Why Delhi HC Has Banned Sapinda Marriages?<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16pt; color: #000000;\"><b>About the Case:<\/b><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>2007:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The woman\u2019s marriage was declared void after her husband successfully proved that they had entered into a sapinda marriage.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>2023:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This ruling was challenged before the Delhi HC, which dismissed the appeal in October 2023.<\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">The woman then approached the HC again, challenging the constitutional validity of the prohibition on sapinda marriages.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Constitutional Validity:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0 The petitioner contested<\/span><b> Section 5(v) of the Hindu Marriage Act,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> arguing that it violates the <\/span><b>right to equality guaranteed under Article 14 of the Constitution.<\/b><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">She argued that sapinda marriages are prevalent even when there is no proof of custom.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 16pt; color: #000000;\"><b>Delhi High Court Ruling:<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">The Delhi High Court dismissed the petitioner&#8217;s arguments, stating that she failed to provide sufficient evidence of an established custom to justify a sapinda marriage.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The court also held that the<\/span><b> choice of a partner in a marriage can be subject to regulation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">found no legal grounds to support the claim that the prohibition on sapinda marriages violates the right to equality.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>What is Sapinda Marriage?<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A sapinda marriage is one between individuals<\/span><b> who are related to each other<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> within a certain <\/span><b>degree of closeness.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Under the HMA, marriage is prohibited within certain generations on both the mother&#8217;s and father&#8217;s sides.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Mother&#8217;s Side:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Marriage is forbidden within three generations.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sibling (first generation), their parents (second generation), their grandparents (third generation)\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Father&#8217;s Side:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It extends to five generations.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This prohibition would extend up to their grandparents\u2019 grandparent,<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sapinda relationships for the purposes of the HMA are defined in Section 3 of the Act.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pw.live\/batches\/upsc?utm_source=seo+upsc+batch&#038;utm_medium=seo+upsc&#038;utm_campaign=seo&#038;utm_id=upsc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Enroll now for UPSC Online Course<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"><b>Prohibition Criteria<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Marriage Voidance<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If a marriage violates Section 5(v) of the HMA by being a sapinda marriage without an established custom permitting it, it is deemed void.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This means the <\/span><b>marriage is considered invalid <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and treated as if it never occurred.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"><b>Exception to Prohibition<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Hindu Marriage Act (HMA) provides an exception to the prohibition against sapinda marriages.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This exception applies when the<\/span><b> customs<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of each individual involved permit such marriages.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Criteria for Custom<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to Section 3(a) of the HMA, a custom must be continuously and uniformly observed for an extended period to gain legitimacy.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It should have the force of law among Hindus in a local area, tribe, group, or family.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Conditions for Valid Custom<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For a custom to be valid, it must be certain, not unreasonable, and in line with public policy. Additionally, if the custom applies only to a specific family, it should not have been discontinued by that family.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<table style=\"width: 100.301%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"width: 100%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: rgba(184, 165, 217, 0.53); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle;\">\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt; color: #000000;\"><b>Similar to Sapinda Marriages in Other Countries<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Europe: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In several European countries, laws regarding incestuous relationships are less strict than in India.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>France:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Abolished the crime of incest under the Penal Code of 1810, allowing marriages between consenting adults.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Belgium: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adopted similar laws under the influence of the French code.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Portugal:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">does not criminalise incest.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Italy: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Incest is only considered a crime if it causes a &#8220;public scandal.&#8221;<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>United States: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Incestuous marriages are <\/span><b>prohibited in all 50 states<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. However, relationships between consenting adults are permitted in New Jersey and Rhode Island.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Note:\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Incestuous:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> An incestuous relationship is one involving sexual intercourse between two members of the same family.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<span class=\"vc_button\"><b>Also Read: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/current-affairs\/same-sex-marriage-in-india\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Supreme Court Verdict On Same Sex Marriage In India<\/span><\/a><\/span>\n<p><b>News Source: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/explained-law\/incestuous-sapinda-marriages-9129281\/#:~:text=Under%20the%20provisions%20of%20the,five%20generations%20of%20the%20individual.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><b>The Indian Express<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 100.152%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr style=\"height: 36px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 466.046%; 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