Consider the following statements regarding Hindu Succession Act.
1. Hindu women's right to be the coparcener (joint legal heir) and inherit ancestral property on terms equal to male heirs.
2. It applies to everyone who is not a Muslim, Christian, Parsi or Jew, Buddhist, Sikh and Jain by religion.
3. Kerala is the only state to have abolished the Hindu Joint Family System in 1975.
The correct answer/s is/are:
Last updated Jun 24, 2026
Correct Answer:
Option B —
1 and 3 only
1. Coparcenary Rights (Statement 1 is Correct)
The Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 2005 was a landmark change. It amended Section 6 of the original 1956 Act to make a daughter of a coparcener a coparcener by birth in her own right, in the same manner as the son. This gave women equal rights and liabilities in ancestral property, treating them as equal to male heirs.
2. Applicability (Statement 2 is Incorrect)
The phrasing of this statement is tricky. The Hindu Succession Act applies to:
Any person who is a Hindu by religion.
Any person who is a Buddhist, Jain, or Sikh by religion.
Any person who is not a Muslim, Christian, Parsi, or Jew.
Statement 2 implies that the Act applies to those who are not Buddhist, Sikh, or Jain. This is wrong because Buddhists, Sikhs, and Jains are included under the legal definition of "Hindu" for the purpose of this Act.
3. Abolition in Kerala (Statement 3 is Correct)
The state of Kerala took a unique and radical step with the Kerala Joint Hindu Family System (Abolition) Act, 1975. This law effectively abolished the concept of the "Joint Hindu Family" within the state, replacing the system of joint tenancy with tenancy in common. While other states (like Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu) amended the law to give daughters rights within the joint family system, Kerala abolished the system itself.
Answer verified by Quintessence Classes faculty — Karan Nagar, Srinagar.
