55,000 couples waiting for divorce in India

The Centre for the first time has released the number of divorce cases pending in the country’s courts. Law and justice minister M Veerappa Moily put the figure at 55,000 on Wednesday.

He said the cases will be settled in a fortnight after Parliament amends the Hindu Marriage Act (HMA), 1955, and the Special Marriage Act (SMA), 1954, by including ‘irretrievable breakdown of marriage’ as grounds for divorce.

“We are also increasing the number of family courts to deal with the load of divorce cases in view of the proposed amendment. All divorce cases pending for more than three years will be first disposed of,” Moily said.

DNA was the first to report about the government’s plans to amend the HMA and the SMA following an interview with Moily last September.

Every year, an average 7,500 cases of divorce are filed in Mumbai, 9,000 in Delhi and 3,000 in Bangalore.

Moily had earlier said that the family courts will be given a target to wind up divorce and child custody cases within a year of their filing.

The Law Commission feels there is no use in keeping two persons in matrimony when they cannot live together peacefully. Also, a recent survey by a matrimonial portal found that young divorcees are keen to start afresh and as soon as possible.