DURING PENDENCY OF PROCEEDINGS

When either the wife or the husband has no independent income for his or her support and for the necessary expenses of the proceedings, an application can be made either by the husband or wife to the court and the court may order the respondent to pay the expenses of the proceeding and such sum as maintenance as the court seems reasonable.

PERMANENT ALIMONY AND MAINTENANCE

The Court may at the passing of any decree or any time subsequent thereto, may on the application of the parties order the non-Applicant, to pay to the Applicant for the maintenance and support. The maintenance may be in a gross sum or on periodical or monthly basis. In no case, the maintenance shall be payable beyond the life of the non-Applicant. The income and property of the non-Applicant shall be considered while determining the permanent alimony

Besides this the wife only has an alternate remedy in terms of maintenance under Section 125 under Criminal Procedure code to the extent of a maximum of Rs. 500 per month.

HINDU ADOPTIONS AND MAINTENANCE ACT, 1956
 

CHAPTER I

PRELIMINARY

1. Short title and extent
(1) This Act may be called the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956.

(2) It extends to the whole of India except the State of Jammu and Kashmir.

2. Application of Act
(1) This Act applies-

(a) to any person, who is a Hindu by religion in any of its forms or developments, including a Virashaiva, a Lingayat or a follower of the Brahmo, Prarthana or Arya Samaj,

(b) to any person who is a Buddhist, Jaina or Sikh by religion, and

(c) to any other person who is not a Muslim, Christian, Parsi or Jew by religion, unless it is proved that any such person would not have been governed by the Hindu law or by any custom or usage as part of the law in respect of any of the matters dealt with herein if this Act had not been passed.

Explanation: The following persons are Hindus, Buddhists, Jainas or Sikhs by religion, as the case may be:

(a) any child, legitimate or illegitimate, both of whose parents are Hindus, Buddhists, Jainas or Sikhs by religion;

(b) any child, legitimate or illegitimate, one of whose parents is a Hindu, Buddhist, Jaina or Sikh by religion and who is brought up as a member of the tribe, community, group or family to which such parent belongs or belonged; 1[***]

2[(bb) any child, legitimate or illegitimate, who has been abandoned both by his father and mother or whose parentage is not known and who in either case is brought up as a Hindu, Buddhist, Jaina or Sikh; and]

(c) any person who is convert or reconvert to the Hindu, Buddhist, Jaina or Sikh religion.

(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), nothing contained in this Act shall apply to the members of any Scheduled Tribe within the meaning of clause (25) of article 366 of the Constitution unless the Central Government, by notification in the Official Gazette, otherwise directs.

(2A) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), nothing contained in this Act shall apply to Renoncants of the Union Territory of Pondicherry.

(3) The expression "Hindu" in any portion of this Act shall be construed as if it included a person who, though not a Hindu by religion, is, nevertheless, a person to whom this Act applies by virtue of the provisions contained in this section.

3. Definitions
In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,-

(a) the expressions "custom" and "usage" signify any rule which, having been continuously and uniformly observed for a long time, has obtained the force of law among Hindus in any local area, tribe, community, group or family:

PROVIDED that the rule is certain and not unreasonable or opposed to public policy:

PROVIDED FURTHER that, in the case of a rule applicable only to a family, it has not been discontinued by the family;

(b) "maintenance" includes-

(i) in all cases, provision for food, clothing, residence, education and medical attendance and treatment;

(ii) in the case of an unmarried daughter, also the reasonable expenses of and incidents to her marriage;

(c) "minor" means a person who has not completed his or her age of eighteen years.

4. Overriding effect of Act
Save as otherwise expressly provided in this Act,-

(a) any text, rule or interpretation of Hindu law or any custom or usage as part of that law in force immediately before the commencement of this Act shall cease to have effect with respect to any matter for which provision is made in this Act;

(b) any other law in force immediately before the commencement of this Act shall cease to apply to Hindus insofar as it is inconsistent with any of the provisions contained in this Act.