Include ST women in Hindu Succession Act, DMK MP urges Centre

Subject :Schemes

Concept :

A Member of Parliament has urged the Central government to include women from the Scheduled Tribes (ST) communities in Hindu Succession Act.

Hindu Succession Act

The Mitakshara school of Hindu law was codified as the Hindu Succession Act, 1956.
The Act governs the succession and inheritance of property among Hindus.
According to Section 2 of the Act, the provisions of the Act apply to anyone who is a Hindu by religion which includes people belonging to the Virashaiva, a Lingayat community, or a follower of the Brahmo, Prarthana, or Arya Samaj.
As per Section 2(2) of the Act, the provisions of the Act shall not apply to the members of any Scheduled Tribes as defined under Article 366 of the Constitution unless the Union Government makes a notification in the Official Gazette to direct otherwise.
The Hindu Succession Act of 1956 however only recognised male members as legal heirs.
Through the Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 2005, women were extended coparcenary rights.
The law applied to ancestral property and intestate succession where such successions took place according to the law and not through a will.