THE KERALA JOINT HINDU FAMILY SYSTEM (ABOLITION) ACT, 1975.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Short title, extent and commencement

2. Definition
3. Birth in family not to give rise to rights in property
4. Joint tenancy to be replaced by tenancy in common
5. Rule of pious obligation of Hindu son abrogated
6. Liability of members of joint Hindu family for debts contracted before Act not affected
7. Repeal
8. Proclamation IX of 1124 and Act 16 of 1961 to continue in force
The Schedule

THE KERALA JOINT HINDU FAMILY SYSTEM

(ABOLITION) ACT, 1975.
(ActXXXof1976asamendedbyACTXVof1978)

AnacttoabolishthejointfamilysystemamongHindusintheStateofKerala.

Preamble:
WhereasitisexpedienttoabolishthejointfamilysystemamongHindusintheStateofKerala
BeitenactedintheTwentysixthYearoftheRepublicofIndiaasfollows:

Shorttitle,extent 1.(1)ThisActmaybecalledtheKeralaJointHinduFamilySystem(Abolition)Act,1975.
andcommencement
(2)ItextendstothewholeofStateofKerala.

(3)ItshallcomeintoforceonsuchdateastheGovernmentmay,bynotificationintheGazette,
appoint.

Definitions 2.InthisAct,"jointHindufamily"meansanyHindufamilywithcommunityofpropertyand
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includes:

(1) a tarwad or thavazi governed by the Madras Marumakkathayam Act, 1932, the
TravancoreNayarAct,IIof1100,theTravancoreEzhavaAct,IIIof1100,theNanjinad
VellalaActof1101,theTravancoreKshatriyaActof1108,theTravancoreKrishnavaka
MarumakkathayeeAct,VIIof1115,theCochinNayarAct,XXIXof113,ortheCochin
MarumakkathayamActXXXIIIof1113
 (2)akutumbaorkavarugovernedbytheMadrasAliyasantanaAct,1949

(3)anillomgovernedbytheKeralaNambudiriAct1958and

(4)anundividedHindufamilygovernedbytheMitaksharalaw.

Birthinfamilynot 3.OnandafterthecommencementofthisActnorighttoclaimanyinterestinanypropertyof
togiverisetorights
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inproperty anancestorduringhisorherlifetimewhichisfoundedonthemerefactthattheclaimantwas
borninthefamilyoftheancestorsshallberecognisedinanycourt.

Jointtenancytobe 4.(1)AllmembersofanundividedHinduFamilygovernedbytheMitaksharalawholdingany
replacedbytenancy
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incommon coparcenary property on the day this Act comes into forceshallwitheffectfromthatday,be
deemedtoholditastenantsincommonasifapartitionhadtakenplaceamongallthemembers
ofthatundividedHindufamilyasrespectssuchpropertyandasifeachoneofthemisholding
hisorhershareseparatelyasfullownerthereof

providedthatnothinginthissubsectionshallaffecttherighttomaintenanceortheright
tomarriageorfuneralexpensesoutofthecoparcenarypropertyortherighttoresidence,ifany,
ofthemembersofanundividedHindufamily,otherthanpersonswhohavebecomeentitledto
hold their shares separately, and any such right can be enforced as if this Act had not been
passed.

(2)AllmembersofajointHinduFamilyotherthananundividedHindufamilyrefereedtoin
subsection(1),holdinganyJointfamilypropertyon the day this Act comes into force shall,
witheffectfromthatdaybedeemedtoholditastenantsincommon,asifapartitionofsuch
property percapita had taken place among all the members of the family living on the day
aforesaid,whethersuchmembersweremembersentitledtoclaimpartitionornotunderthelaw
applicabletothem,andasifeachoneofthemembersisholdinghisorhershareseparatelyas
fullownerthereof.

Ruleofpious 5. (1) After the commencement of this Act, no court shall, save as provided in subsection
obligationofHindu
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sonabrogated (2)recogniseanyrighttoproceedagainstason,grandson,orgreatgrandsonfortherecoveryof
anydebtduefromhisfather,grandfatherorgreatgrandfatheroranyalienationofpropertyin
respectoforinsatisfactionofanysuchdebtonthegroundofpiousobligationundertheHindu
lawoftheson,grandsonorthegreatgrandsontodischargeanysuchdebt.

(2) In the case of any debt contracted before the commencement of this Act, nothing in sub
section(1)shallaffect
(a)therightofanycreditortoproceedagainsttheson,grandsonorgreatgrandson,asthecase
maybeor
(b)anyalienationmadeinrespectof,orinsatisfactionof,anysuchdebt,
andanysuchrightoralienationshallbeenforceableundertheruleofpiousobligationinthe
samemannerandtothesameextentasitwouldhavebeenenforceableifthisActhadnotbeen
passed.

EXPLANATIONForthepurposesofsubsection(2),theexpression"son","grandson"
or"greatgrandson"shallbedeemedtorefertoson,grandsonorgreatgrandsonasthecasemay
be,whowasbornoradoptedpriortothecommencementofthisact.

Liabilityof 6.WhereadebtbindingonajointHindufamilyhasbeencontractedbeforethecommencement
membersofjoint
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Hindufamilyfor of this Act by the Karnavan, Yejman, Manager or Kartha, as the case may be, of the family,
debtscontracted nothinghereincontainedshallaffecttheliabilityofanymemberofthefamilytodischargeany
beforeActnot
affected such debt and any such liability may be enforced against all or any of the members liable
thereforinthesamemannerandtothesameextentasitwouldhavebeenenforceableifthisAct
hadnotbeenpassed.
 Repeal 7.(1)SaveasotherwiseexpresslyprovidedinthisAct,anytext,ruleorinterpretationofHindu
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Laworanycustomorusageaspartofthatlawinforceimmediatelybeforethecommencement
ofthisActshallceasetohaveeffectwithrespecttoanymatterforwhichprovisionismadein
thisAct.

(2)TheActsmentionedintheSchedule,insofarastheyapplytothewholeoranypartofthe
StateofKerala,areherebyrepealed.

ProclamationIXof 8. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act or in any other law for the time being in
1124andAct16of
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1961tocontinuein force, Proclamation (IX of 1124) dated the 29th June 1949, promulgated by the Maharaja of
force Cochin, as amended by the Valiamma Thampuran Kovilakam Estate and the Palace Fund
(Partition) and the Kerala jointHinduFamilySystem(Abolition)AmendmentAct,1978,and
theValiammaThampuranKovilakam Estate and the PalaceFund(Partition) Act, 1961(16 of
1961),asamendedbythesaidAct,shallcontinuetobeinforceandshallapplytotheValiamma
Thampuran Kovilakam Estate and the Palace Fund administered by the Board of Trustees
appointedundersection3ofthesaidProclamation.

THE SCHEDULE Top

[SeeSection7(2)]

ActsRepealed

(1)TheMadrasMarumakkathayamAct,1933(XXIIof1933)
(2)TheMadrasAliyasantanaAct,1949(IXof1949)
(3)TheTravancoreNayarAct,IIof1100
(4)TravancoreEzahavaAct,IIIof1100
(5)TheNanjinadVellalaActof1101(VIof1101)
(6)TheTravancoreKshatriyaActof1108(VIIof1108)
(7)TheTravancoreKrishnavakaMarumakkathayeeAct(VIIof1115)
(8)TheCochinThiyyaAct,VIIIof1107
(9)TheCochinMakkathayamThiyyaAct,XVIIof1115
(10)TheCochinNayarAct,XXIXof1113
(11)TheCochinMarumakkatyamAct,XXXIIIof1113
(12)TheKeralaNambudiriAct,1958(27of1958).

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C O N T E N T S C O P Y R I G H T M A H E S H T. P A I , 2003.
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