Union Cabinet makes divorce easier

New Delhi, Jun 11: Clearing amendments for introduction of 'irretrievable breakdown of marriage' in the Hindu Marriages Act, the Union Cabinet on Thursday, Jun 10 made the process of getting a divorce much easier.

With this amendment, the husband or the wife can seek divorce on the new grounds of 'irretrievable breakdown of marriage' which gets added to the existing ones such as adultery, cruelty, desertion, conversion to another religion, unsoundness of mind, virulent and incurable form of leprosy, venereal disease in a communicable form, and renouncement of the world.

“This would provide safeguards to parties to marriage who file petition for grant of divorce by consent from the harassment in court if any of the party does not come to the court or wilfully avoids the court to keep the divorce proceedings inconclusive," said Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni while speaking to media personnel.

Informing that the proposed amendments are in line with the recommendations of the Law Commission given in its 217th Report, Ms Soni added that the need for the ammendment emerged from the fact that "parties who have filed petition for mutual consent suffer in case one of the parties abstain himself or herself from court proceedings and keeps the divorce proceedings inconclusive, causing considerable hardship to the party in dire need or divorce."

OneIndia News