India has come a long way in ensuring women’s rights to property and inheritance, however there is still much more that needs to be done. Discuss.

Inheritance land property rights or not just tools of economic empowerment but symbols of social standing in India.

Long strides towards women’s rights:

• Indian Parliament’s law on gender equal inheritance rights 2005.
• Liberal interpretation of inheritance law 2005 in supreme court’s coparceners verdict 2020.
• Changes in rigid rural hierarchy and gender rights awareness.
• Rise in women’s ownership of agricultural property.

Challenges:

• Slow pace of social attitudinal change.
• Improper implementation of inheritance laws.
• Ambiguous interpretation of judicial verdicts.
• Patriarchal social mindset.
• Women’s economic dependence on men.
• Poor educational and literacy status of women.

To achieve SDG-5, Gender equality, equal inheritance rights are the need of the hour.

Topics: GS-I : Salient Features of Indian Society, Diversity of India