CURRENT AFFAIRS

Detailed explanation-1: -Parliament passed the Personal Laws (Amendment) Bill which removes the disease as grounds for divorce under five personal laws, including the Hindu Marriage Act. New Delhi: Parliament on Wednesday passed a Bill removing leprosy as a ground for divorce under five personal laws including the Hindu Marriage Act.

Detailed explanation-2: -PERSONNEL LAWS AMENDMENT ACT, 2019 - The words “leprosy or” in section 2 of the dissolution of Muslim marriage act, 1939. - Clause (c) in subsection (2), section 18 of the Hindu Adoptions and maintenance act, 1956. This act has struck down leprosy and it stands no more a valid reason for divorce in India.

Detailed explanation-3: -(i) Cruelty which is a ground for dissolution of marriage may be defined as wilful and unjustifiable conduct of such character as to cause danger to life, limb or health, bodily or mental, or as to give rise to a reasonable apprehension of such a danger.

Detailed explanation-4: -Srinivas Rao v. D.A. Deepa[16] court held that the irretrievable breakdown of a marriage is not a basis for divorce under the Hindu Marriage Act of 1955.

Detailed explanation-5: -Currently, Hindu marriage law does not include “irretrievable breakdown of marriage” as a ground for divorce. However, the apex court in a number of cases has provided the said relief using its extraordinary powers under Article 142 that allow it to do “complete justice".