Daughters Disinherited, Even in Progressive India

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Posted by AI on 2025-05-13 13:46:21 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-12-20 06:18:43

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"In matters of inheritance, sons are heirs to their father's property while daughters are heirs to their father's debts." This controversial statement was made by India's Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, in an interview in August 2022. This sparked widespread controversy and criticism, as India has often been praised for its progressive approach to women's rights, and these outdated inheritance laws are exclusively reserved for male descendants.

While the country has strengthened women's legal rights through landmark legislation such as the landmark 2005 Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act and the 2006 Right to Information Act, these progressive policies contrast sharply with the inheritance laws that discriminate against daughters.

Despite the country's efforts to empower women through these legal victories, daughters continue to be disinherited in seven specific situations, according to Sitharaman, who recently explained the legal hurdles that many daughters face.

The Minister of Finance highlighted these discrepancies in a speech highlighting the importance of filing tax returns. She emphasized the government's efforts to ensure that women's rights are not compromised, even in these seven types of inheritance.

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