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CHAPTER III MAINTENANCE

Section 20: Maintenance of children and aged parents

The Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956

(1) Subject to the provisions of this section a Hindu is bound, during his or her life-time, to maintain his or her legitimate or illegitimate children and his or her aged or infirm parents.

(2) A legitimate or illegitimate child may claim maintenance from his or her father or mother so long as the child is a minor.

(3) The obligation of a person to maintain his or her aged or infirm parent or a daughter who is unmarried extends in so far as the parent or the unmarried daughter, as the case may be, is unable to maintain himself or herself out of his or her own earnings or other property.

Explanation.―In this section “parent” includes a childless step-mother.

Questions on this section

2 questions in 8 of our papers cite Section 20. Try these from the free papers:

  1. 1. D, an unmarried Hindu woman aged 24, has no earnings or property and is unable to maintain herself. She sues her father under the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956 for maintenance. Her claim:

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