Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956

[Act no. 78 of Year 1956, dated 21st. December, 1956]

Contents
Sections	Particulars
Chapter I	Preliminary
1	Short title and extent
2	Application of Act
3	Definitions
4	Overriding effect of Act
Chapter II	Adoption
5	Adoptions to be regulated by this Chapter
6	Requisites of a valid adoption
7	Capacity of a male Hindu to take in adoption
8	Capacity of a female Hindu to take in adoption
9	Persons capable of giving in adoption
10	Persons who may be adopted
11	Other conditions for a valid adoption
12	Effects of adoption
13	Right of adoptive parents to dispose of their properties
14	Determination of adoptive mother in certain cases
15	Valid adoption not to be cancelled
16	Presumption as to registered documents relating to adoption
17	Prohibition of certain payments
Chapter III	Maintenance
18	Maintenance of wife
19	Maintenance of widowed daughter-in-law
20	Maintenance of children and aged parents
21	Dependants defined
22	Maintenance of dependants
23	Amount of maintenance
24	Claimant to maintenance should be a Hindu
25	Amount of maintenance may be altered on change of circumstances
26	Debts to have priority
27	Maintenance when to be a charge
28	Effect of transfer of property on right to maintenance
Chapter IV	Repeal And Saving
29	[Rep. by the Repealing and Amending Act, 1960]
30	Saving

An Act to amend and codify the law relating to adoptions and maintenance among Hindus.

Be it enacted by Parliament in the Seventh Year of the Republic of India as follows:-