Report No. 83

The Guardians and Wards Act, 1890 and Certain Provisions of The Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act, 1956

Contents
Chapter I	Introductory
1.1	Genesis and scope
2.	Need for revision of the Act
3.	The child in society
4.	Crisis in family life
5.	Problems presented by children
6.	Welfare
7.	Shelley's Guardianship
8.	Various competing considerations
9.	Cardozo's views as to "best interests theory"
10.	Clash of interests between parent and child
11.	Role of Judge
12.	Legislative trends in family law and to regard to children
13.	Legislative trends
14.	Criminal Law
15.	Developments in procedure-Experts to assist the Court
16.	Independent legal representative
17.	Steady trend
18.	Equality of sexes
19.	U.N. Declaration
20.	Position elsewhere and on the continent
21.	Treatment by society of the children
22.	Relevance of survey
Chapter 2	Brief History
2.1	Introductory
2.	Statutory Law
3.	Uncodified law
4,5.	Origin of Act of 1890
Chapter 3	Present Law and Scheme of The Act of 1890
3.1	Scope
2.	Minority
3.	Litigation
4.	Testamentary guardianship
5.	Statutory provisions
6.	Act not exhaustive
7 to 9.	Scheme of the Act of 1890
Chapter 4	Preliminary Provisions: Sections 1 To 4
4.1	Scope of Chapter
2,3.	Section 2 and 3
4.	Section
5.	Section 4-To be rearranged
6.	Section 4(1)-'Minor'
7.	Section 4(2)-Whether justistic person can be 'guardian'
8.	Section 4(2) applicable to all guardians
9.	De facto guardian
10.	Section 4 of Act, 1956 and its inter-relationship with Act of 1890
11.	The concept of de facto guardian
12.	Concept of de facto guardian recoginsed in various branches of law
13.	Recommendation to amend section 4(2) to add de facto guardian
14.	Element of "care" in other statutory provisions
15.	Definition in other Acts
16.	English definition
17.	Effect of the expression "having the care"
Chapter 5	Empowerment of Subordinate Judicial Officers: Section 4A
5.1	Section 4A
2.	Amendment recommended in section 4A
Chapter 6	Appointment and Declaration of Guardianship
6.1	Scope
2.	Section 5-Powers of parents to appoint in case of European British subjects
3.	Section 6
4.	Section 7(1)-Criteria for exercise of the power
5.	Power to declare or appoint guardian-Certificated guardians
6.	Questions to be considered with reference to section 7
7.	Section 7 and guardian residing outside India
8.	Section 7 and the word 'property'
9.	Conflict of decisions as to hereditary trusteeship
10.	Recommendation to insert an Explanation below section 7
11.	Section 7 and interest in undivided property
12.	Jurisdiction of High Courts
13.	English law
15.	Power of other Courts
16.	Bombay case
17.	No change recommended as to minor's interest in undivided property
18.	Section 7 and conditional orders
19.	Observations in Madras case
20.	Bombay view
21.	Need for amendment as to conditional orders
22.	Section 8
23.	Recommendation to add clause (bb)
24.	Section 1 (bb) to be inserted
25.	Recommendation
26.	Section 9-Court having jurisdiction to entertain application
27,28.	Sections 10 and 11
29.	Section 2-Power to make interlocutory order for production of minor and interim protection of person and property
30.	Section 12-Interim orders in cases under section 25-Recommendation
31.	Section 13
32.	Consultation with child welfare experts
33.	Section 14-Recommendation to revise sub-section (3)
34.	Section 15
35.	Section 15-Joint guardians
36.	Section 16
37.	Section 17-Matters to be considered by the Court in appointing a guardian
38.	Need for harmony
39.	Questions for consideration
40.	Effect of sections 17 and 19 taken together
41.	English law
42.	Second question-Elaboration of "welfare of the child"
43.	Act of 1956 arid its relationship to the Act of 1890
44.	Effect of sections 6 and 13, Act of 1956
45.	Modem sociological developments and their relevance
46.	Present conditions different from those existing in 1890 or 1956
47.	Need to prevent father from using child as pawn
48.	Recommendation for amending the Act of 1890, section 17
49.	Insertion of new sub-section-Periodical reports
50.	Recommendation for amending the Act of 1956, section 6
51.	Need for amendment as to custody
52.	English law
53.	Need of mother's care for child of tender age
54.	Questions formulated at the outset how disposed of
55.	Section 18
56.	Appointment of juristic persons as guardian
57.	Section 19-Guardian not to be appointed by the Court in certain cases
58.	Analysis of section 19
59.	Section 19 to be either deleted or to be made subject to section 17
60.	Section 19 to be made subject to section 25
61.	Welfare paramount under section 25
62.	Section 13(2) of the Act of 1956
63.	Case law
64.	Section 19 and proposed saving regarding custody
65.	Section 19 and testamentary guardians
66.	Effect of section 2, Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act
67.	Section 19, clauses (a) and (b),-Application by father or husband
68.	Object of section 19 and its proper scope
69.	Need for amendment
70.	Comment in legal Journal
71.	Section 19(a)
72.	Earlier English rule as to husband's control over wife
73.	Right not absolute
74.	Utility of clause (a) in the light of child marriage restraint
75.	Section 19(b)-Equal status to be conferred on mother
76.	Section 19 clauses (a) and (b) overlapping-amendment recommended
77.	Personal law
78.	Illegitimate children
79.	Rational
80.	Foreigners
81.	Amendment of section 19(b) recommended
82.	Summary of recommendation relating to section 19
83.	Recommendation for revising section 19
Chapter 7	Duties, Rights and Liabilities of Guardians
	Sections 20 to 37
7.1	Scope
2,3.	Section 20,21
4.	Anomalies as to property
5.	Observations in Madras case
6.	Need for amendment of section 21
7.	Recommendation as to section 21
8.	Section 72
9,10.	Sections 23,24
11.	Section 25-Title of guardian to custody of ward
12.	Section 25-Questions to be considered
13.	Section 25-The competent Court
14.	Person not having actual custody
15.	Judicial decisions passed on constructive custody
16.	Need for amendment of section 25 as to constructive custody
17.	Defect in present language
18.	Section 15(1) and 25(2)-The arrest of the ward
19.	Welfare of minor
20.	Guardian of child above 14
21.	Association of women
22.	Recommendation
23.	Section 26
24.	Section 27
25.	Section 28
26.	Transfer of valuable, movable property
27.	Need for amendment of section 29 as to moveable property
28.	Recommendation as to section 20
29.	Section 30-Recommendation
30.	Recommendation to amend section 30
31.	Section 31
32.	Recommendation to amend section 31(3)
33.	Section 32
34.	Section 33
35.	Section 34
36.	Section 34-Need for provision as to interest and for disallowing remuneration
37.	Recommendation to insert section 34(2)
38.	Section 34(a)-Recommendation
39.	Section 34(d)-"balance due"
40.	Reasoning examined
41.	Amendment of section 34(d) recommended
42.	Section 34(3) to be inserted
43.	Section 34A
44.	Section 35
45.	Section 36-Recommendation
46.	Section 37-Recommendation for verbal amendment
Chapter 8	Termination of Guardianship: Sections 38-42
8.1	Scope
2 to 5.	Sections 38 to 41
6.	Section 41 and its applicability to death of ward
7.	Recommendation to amend section 41(1) and 41(2)
8.	Precise order
9.	Recommendation as to section 41(3)
10.	View of Shadi Lal C.J
11.	Recommendation to insert sub-section (3A) in section 41
12.	Section 42
Chapter 9	Supplemental Provisions: Sections 43-51
9.1	Sections 43 to 51
2.	Section 43-Recommendation
3,4.	Sections 44 to 47
5.	Section 47 and orders undgr section 34(d)
6.	Section 47(ff)-Recommendation
7.	Section 47 and orders under section 42
8.	Section 47(k)-Recommendation
9.	Section 48
10.	Effect of the section as judicially construed
11.	Temporary nature of orders
12.	Need for amendment
13.	History of section 48
14.	Recommendations revise section 48
15.	Section 49
16.	Section 49A (New)-Recovery as arrears of land revenu
17.	Section 50
18.	Section 51-to be repealed
Chapter 10	Summary of Recommendations
	Chapter 4-definitions
	Chapter 5-empowerment of Subordinate Judicial Officers
	Chapter 6-Appointment and Declaration of Guardian
	Chapter 7-Rights, Duties and Liabilities of Guardians
	Chapter 8-termination of Guardianship: Sections 38-42
	Chapter 9-supplemental Provisions: Sections 43-51
Appendix 1	Position as to Custody of Children in Personal Law
	Custody in Hindus
Appendix 2	History of The Law in India
I.	Introductory
II.	Hindu Law
III.	Muslim Law
IV.	Position Before 1890, The Acts And The Regulations
V.	State of The Law And Difficulties Felt
VI.	The Bill of 1886 And Proceedings Thereon
VII.	Enactments Repealed
VIII.	Age of Majority
Appendix 3	English Law and Its Evolution
I.	Introductory
II.	Roman Law
III.	The Middle Age-judicature Act
IV.	The Position before The Judicature Acts
V.	Position after The Judicature Acts
VI.	Modern Developments
VII.	Present Position
VIII.	Custody
IX.	Testamentary Guardianship
X.	Children's Acts
XI.	Habeas Corpus
XII.	Wards of Court