Reconceptualising Parenthood in Indian Family Law:Shared Parenting and the Case for Paternity Leave
Keywords:
Shared parenting, paternity leave, natural guardian, breadwinner-caregiver, best interest of the childAbstract
The hierarchy within parenting laws in India continues to undermine joint parenthood and gender equality. This paper demonstrates the legal framing of parenthood through Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act, 1956, and the Guardians and Wards Act, 1890, which designate fathers as the “natural guardians” while consign mothers to secondary status, yet parallelly relegate fathers to breadwinning roles through the absence of statutory paternity leave. Analysing the landmark judgment
by the Supreme Court in Hamsanandini Nanduri v. Union of India, 2026 where paternity leave was recognised as a social security entitlement. The dichotomy between legal guardianship and actual caregiving perpetuates the “best interest of the child” as an abstract principle rather than an enforceable reality. The absence shared parenting and paternity benefits schemes becomes a major impediment to bond. This paper introduces legislation reforms to the hierarchical structure of guardianship and install equal parental responsibility, which includes mandate parenting plans, and creating a statutory right for all parents, regardless of gender, to have parental leave. To reconceptualise parenthood, it is necessary to move away from the “breadwinner-caregiver” model of parenting towards a child-centred model in which both parents’ involvement in their child’s upbringing is presumed and supported by law and policy.
References
1. Mulla. Introduction to Hindu Law. 25th ed. 2024.
2. The Guardians and Wards Act, 1890. No. 8, Acts of Parliament, 1890 (India).
3. NCERT. Indian Society: Textbook in Sociology for Class XII. National Council of Educational Research and Training; 2024. p. 45. See also: Sharma P. Policy gaps in paternity leave in India. J Indian Law. 2021;5:88–92.
4. World Bank Gender Data Portal. Available from: https://genderdata.worldbank.org/en/economies/ india (last visited Apr. 2, 2026). See also: Ray R, et al. Paternity leave, child welfare, and maternal health. Soc Policy. 2010;17:1–10.
5. UNICEF. Available from: https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/fathers-are-one-best-yet-most-underutilized-child-development-resources-unicef (last visited Apr. 2, 2026). See also: Indhu B, Maruthuvijayan S. Bridging the Care Gap: The Role of Paternity Leave in Promoting Workplace Equality in India. IJRTI. 2025;10:472–473.
6. UNICEF. Available from: https://www.unicef.org/parenting/child-care/what-you-need-know-about-parent-child-attachment (last visited Apr. 2, 2026). See also: Subbalaxmi, Sanjeev M. A Study on the Need of Paternity Leave, Laws and Its Implications in India. IJAEM. 2023;5:396–398. See also: Petts R, et al. Parental leave and gender equality in the workplace. Gender & Society. 2021;35:1–8.
7. The Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act, 1956. No. 32, Acts of Parliament, 1956 (India).
8. The Guardians and Wards Act, 1890. No. 8, Acts of Parliament, 1890 (India).
9. The Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act, 1956. § 6. No. 32, Acts of Parliament, 1956 (India).
10. Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act. Supra note 7.
11. Guardians and Wards Act. Supra note 2.
12. Jha A, Khandelwal S. No Legal Rationale for Primacy: Revisiting Section 6(a) of the Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act, 1956. SCC Online Blog. Nov. 7, 2020. Available from: https://www.scconline.com/blog/post/2020/11/07/no-legal-rationale-for-primacy-revisiting-section-6a-of-the-hindu-minority-and-guardianship-act-1956/. See also: SCC Online Blog. Available from: https://www.scconline.com/blog/post/tag/section-6-hindu-minority-and-guardianship-act-1956/ (last visited Apr. 2, 2026).
13. Githa Hariharan v. Reserve Bank of India. (1999) 2 SCC 228.
14. Haas L, Rostgaard T. Fathers’ rights and parental leave policies. J Eur Soc Policy. 2011;21:301–305. See also: Harrington B, et al. The New Dad: Paternity Leave and Fatherhood. 2012. p. 1–12. See also: Miller C. Fathers and workplace inclusion. Harv Bus Rev. Nov. 4, 2019. Available from: https://hbr.org/2019/11/fathers-and-workplace-inclusion
15. Mandra Pandey v. Pramod Pandey. (2011) 12 SCC 1.
16. Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act. Supra note 7.
17. The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023. § 144. No. 46, Acts of Parliament, 2023 (India).
18. Prasad A. A Labour of Love. NLSIR Online Blog. Mar. 18, 2021. Available from: https://forum.nls.ac.in/nlsir-online-blog/a-labour-of-love/
19. Sanskruti M. Lack Of Paternity Leave Is Negating The Purpose Of Maternity Leave. LiveLaw. Dec. 2, 2023. Available from: https://www.livelaw.in/lawschoolcolumn/lack-of-paternity-leave-is-negating-the-purpose-of-maternity-leave-243528
20. Law Commission of India. Reform in Guardianship and Custody Laws in India. Report No. 257. 2015. p. 1. Available from:
https://cdnbbsr.s3waas.gov.in/s3ca0daec69b5adc880fb464895726dbdf/uploads/2022/08/2022081656.pdf
21. Githa Hariharan. Supra note 13. See also: B. Saravanan v. Deputy Inspector General of Police, Tirunelveli. 2020 SCC OnLine Mad 1629.
22. Convention on the Rights of the Child. Art. 18. Nov. 20, 1989. 1577 U.N.T.S. 3.
23. Shrivastava S, Singh P. The Best Interest of the Child in Custody Disputes. NLUO Law J. 2017;4:116–118. See also: Upadhyay S. Best Interest of Child. JAJ Law J. 2020;1:1–5. Available from: https://jajharkhand.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/best-interest-of-child.pdf. See also: Committee on the Rights of the Child. General Comment No. 14 on the Right of the Child to Have His or Her Best Interests Taken as a Primary Consideration (Art. 3, Para. 1). U.N. Doc. CRC/C/GC/14. 2013. p. 1, 4. Available from: https://www2.ohchr.org/English/bodies/crc/docs/ GC/CRC_C_GC_14_ENG.pdf
24. Guardians and Wards Act. Supra note 2.
25. Pradeep NA, George M. Paternity Leave Policies: The Sexist Gap in the Indian and Global Parental Policies. DME J Law. 2020;2:54–56. See also: Dhanuka A, Banthia K. Paternity Benefit Leaves in India: Need, Cost and Gender Reform. Int J Law Policy Soc Issues. 2021;1:1–3. See also: Budig M, Misra J. How parental leave impacts employee retention. Work Occup. 2010;37:450–452.
26. Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act. Supra note 7.
27. Ibid.
28. Guardians and Wards Act. Supra note 2.
29. Gaytri Bajaj v. Jiten Bhalla. (2012) 12 SCC 471.
30. The Guardians and Wards Act, 1890. § 17. No. 8, Acts of Parliament, 1890 (India). See also: Gavanas A. Married Fathers and Caring Daddies: Welfare Reform and the Discursive Politics of Paternity. Soc Probl. 2003;50:461–465. See also: Chatterjee S. Workplace equality and parental leave in India. Indian J Law Soc. 2019;10:112–115.
31. Yashita Sahu v. State of Rajasthan. (2020) 3 SCC 67.
32. Rosy Jacob v. Jacob A. Chakramakkal. (1973) 1 SCC 840.
33. Nil Ratan Kundu v. Abhijit Kundu. (2008) 9 SCC 413.
34. Cornell Law School. Available from: https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/parens_patriae (last visited Apr. 2, 2026).
35. Saippa v. State of Kerala. (2019) 16 SCC 411.
36. Vivek Singh v. Romani Singh. (2017) 3 SCC 312.
37. Kumar S. Shared Parenting and Joint Custody in Indian Family Law: A Doctrinal Critique of Legislative Silence and Judicial Activism. IJIRL. 2024;5:1–3. See also: Bharat S. Gender roles and caregiving in Indian families. J Family Stud. 2017;23:1–5.
38. Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act. Supra note 7.
39. Guardians and Wards Act. Supra note 2.
40. The Paternity Benefit Bill, 2017. Bill No. 154 of 2017 (India).
41. The Maternity Benefit Act, 1961. No. 53, Acts of Parliament, 1961 (India).
42. Is Paternity Leave in India Really the Need of Hour? ProBono India. Oct. 10, 2020. Available from: http://probono-india.in/blog-detail.php?id=181. See also: Chowdhury A. Paternity Leaves: The Sexist Gap in Our Parental Policies. Feminism in India. May 24, 2021. Available from: https://feminisminindia.com/2021/05/24/paternity-leaves-sexist-gap-parental-policies/
43. Law Commission of India. Consultation Paper on Reform of Family Law. Aug. 31, 2018. p. 1. Available from: https://archive.pib.gov.in/documents/rlink/2018/aug/p201883101.pdf
44. Hamsaanandini Nanduri v. Union of India. 2026 INSC 246.
45. The Code on Social Security, 2020. § 60(4). No. 36, Acts of Parliament, 2020 (India).
46. Ibid.
47. Deccan Herald. Supreme Court Urges Recognition of Paternity Leave as Social Security Benefit. Mar. 17, 2026. Available from: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/supreme-court-urges-recognition-of-paternity-leave-as-social-security-benefit-3935597
48. Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act. Supra note 7.
49. Ruchi Majoo v. Sanjeev Majoo. (2011) 6 SCC 479.
50. Rhythm Singh v. Anshuman Singh. Contempt Pet. (C) No. 51/2025.
51. The Guardians and Wards Act, 1890. § 9(1). No. 8, Acts of Parliament, 1890 (India).
52. The Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act, 1956. § 13. No. 32, Acts of Parliament, 1956 (India).
53. Guardians and Wards Act, 1890. § 17. No. 8, Acts of Parliament, 1890 (India).
54. X v. Y. CRL.REV.P. 409/2024 & CRL.M.A. 9309/2024.
55. Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973. § 125. No. 2, Acts of Parliament, 1973 (India).
56. Balaji J. A Labour of Love: Making the Jurisprudential Case for Paternity Leave in India. NLSIR Online. Mar. 23, 2023. Available from: https://forum.nls.ac.in/nlsir-online-blog/a-labour-of-love/
57. Guardians and Wards Act, 1890. § 17. No. 8, Acts of Parliament, 1890 (India).
58. Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act, 1956. § 13. No. 32, Acts of Parliament, 1956 (India).
59. Smriti Madan Kansagra v. Perry Kansagra. (2021) 9 SCC 762.
60. Children Act 1989. § 3 (U.K.).
61. Central Civil Services (Leave) Rules, 1972. Available from:
https://documents.doptcirculars.nic.in/D2/D02est/updatedccsleaverulesN9ExV.pdf
62. Anjali Kapoor v. Rajiv Baijal. (2009) 7 SCC 322.
63. Aranya Kumar Sahoo v. Arpita Sahoo. CRLMP No. 2365 of 2023.
64. Maternity Benefit Act, 1961. § 5. No. 53, Acts of Parliament, 1961 (India).
65. Fox & Mandal. SC Flags Need for Paternity Leave Framework. Available from: https://foxmandal.in/News/sc-flags-need-for-paternity-leave-framework/ (last visited Apr. 1, 2026).
66. Economic Times. SC Asks Govt to Plan Law for Paternity Leave: Here’s What Top Court Has Said. Mar. 18, 2026. Available from: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/sc-asks-govt-to-plan-law-for-paternity-leave-heres-what-top-court-has-said/articleshow/129655236.cms?from= mdr
67. Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act. Supra note 7.
68. Guardians and Wards Act. Supra note 57.
