{"id":62624,"date":"2025-12-26T18:36:17","date_gmt":"2025-12-26T13:06:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=62624"},"modified":"2025-12-26T18:36:29","modified_gmt":"2025-12-26T13:06:29","slug":"dowry-cross-cultural-evil","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/26-12-2025\/dowry-cross-cultural-evil","title":{"rendered":"Dowry a Cross-cultural Evil: Supreme Court judgment"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS1\/Social Issues<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Supreme Court termed <strong>dowry a cross-cultural social evil cutting across religions and communities.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About SC Judgement<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>SC Observations: <\/strong>Despite <strong>Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961,<\/strong> the practice continues in disguised forms like<strong> \u201cgifts\u201d.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Dowry violates constitutional values of justice, liberty and fraternity and directly <strong>undermines Article 14<\/strong> (equality before law).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Dowry treats women as a source of financial extraction, not equal partners in marriage.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>SC Directions:<\/strong> The court issued directions for<strong> educational curriculum reforms<\/strong> to reinforce spousal equality.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Ordered appointment of Dowry Prohibition Officers, sensitisation of police\/judiciary, and speedy disposal of cases.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The apex court requested the State High Courts to take stock, ascertain the number of pending dowry cases, and enable their expeditious disposal.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Dowry System<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Dowry<\/strong> refers to any valuable items<strong>, such as cash, property, or jewellery,<\/strong> given by the bride&#8217;s family as a condition of marriage.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Though historically linked to str\u012bdhana (voluntary gifts for a woman\u2019s security), it has evolved into a <strong>coercive and exploitative social practice.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Colonial Influence: In 1793, Lord Cornwallis&#8217;s policies<\/strong> privatised land ownership, which led to discouraging\/diminishing women from owning property.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This led families to provide dowries as a means to secure their daughters&#8217; futures, which eventually became a requirement for marriage.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Dowry Cases in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>As per the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) Data,<\/strong> cases registered under dowry-related crimes saw a <strong>14% increase in 2023,<\/strong> with over 6,100 deaths reported through the year.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Uttar Pradesh<\/strong> accounted for the highest number of cases under the Act followed by <strong>Bihar and Karnataka.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Uttar Pradesh<\/strong> reported the most deaths, followed by Bihar.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Thirteen States\/Union Territories, including West Bengal, Goa, Arunachal Pradesh, Ladakh and Sikkim, reported zero dowry cases during the year.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Causes of the Dowry System in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Patriarchal social structure<\/strong> that treats women as dependents and values sons over daughters.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Gender inequality <\/strong>in education, employment, and inheritance, making marriage the main source of security for women.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Social prestige and status pressure<\/strong>, where dowry and lavish weddings become symbols of honour.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Commercialisation of marriage,<\/strong> turning it into a financial transaction rather than a social institution.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Weak enforcement of laws <\/strong>and social acceptance, leading to continued practice despite legal prohibition.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Concerns<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Dowry reduces women to commodities, <\/strong>undermining constitutional values of equality and justice.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Domestic violence and dowry deaths:<\/strong> Harassment, cruelty, bride burning, and suicides linked to dowry demands remain serious concerns.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Gender imbalance:<\/strong> Son preference reinforced by dowry contributes to female foeticide and a declining sex ratio.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Economic burden on families:<\/strong> Heavy dowry demands push poor and middle-class families into debt and poverty.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Perpetuation of patriarchy: <\/strong>Reinforces male dominance and women\u2019s subordinate status within marriage and society.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Undermining social development: <\/strong>Normalises corruption, consumerism, and inequality, weakening ethical and social foundations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Government Initiatives<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961: <\/strong>Dowry is illegal under the Act, which penalizes giving, taking, or demanding dowry.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Harassment related to dowry is also punishable under laws like the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If a woman dies under unnatural circumstances within seven years of marriage due to dowry harassment, it is considered dowry death, with severe legal consequences.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Authorities such as Dowry Prohibition Officers, police, and NGOs handle complaints, and awareness programs aim to discourage dowry practices.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005:<\/strong> Section 3 defines it as any act that harms a woman\u2019s physical or mental health or endangers her safety, including harassment for unlawful demands.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>24&#215;7 Women Helpline (181):<\/strong> Women Helpline 181 provides 24\/7 emergency and support services for women facing violence in both public and private spaces.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>One Stop Centres (OSCs):<\/strong> These centres offer medical assistance, legal aid, psychological counselling, and temporary shelter, all under one roof.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Women Help Desks (WHDs) in Police Stations: <\/strong>WHDs are established in police stations to make law enforcement more accessible and responsive to women&#8217;s issues.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>14,658 Women Help Desks (WHDs) have been set up, of which 13,743 are headed by women police officers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Way Ahead<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Eradicating dowry requires simultaneous intervention across multiple domains: <\/strong>strengthening women&#8217;s economic independence, reforming inheritance laws to ensure genuine property rights, implementing compulsory school enrollment and vocational training for girls.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Government of India has taken significant steps to enhance women&#8217;s safety and security through legal measures, financial allocations, and support services.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/dowry-a-cross-cultural-evil-that-has-disguised-itself-as-gifts-and-social-expectations-supreme-court-judgment\/article70434766.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>TH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Context<\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">The Supreme Court termed dowry a cross-cultural social evil cutting across religions and communities.<\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>About SC Judgement<\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">SC Observations: Despite Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961, the practice continues in disguised forms like \u201cgifts\u201d.<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">Dowry violates constitutional values of justice, liberty and fraternity and directly undermines Article 14 (equality before law).<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">Dowry treats women as a source of financial extraction, not equal partners in marriage.<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">SC Directions: The court issued directions for educational curriculum reforms to reinforce spousal equality.<\/li>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/26-12-2025\/dowry-cross-cultural-evil\" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read\u00a0More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-62624","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62624","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=62624"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62624\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":62645,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62624\/revisions\/62645"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=62624"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=62624"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=62624"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}