Section 19 of Hindu Marriage Act - A Colonial Legacy Waiting to Bane

You'll find this one fascinating. Section 19 of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, says a marriage can be annulled if the consent of either party was obtained by force, fraud, or misrepresentation. Now, what's problematic here? In the colonial era when this law was drafted, the concept of 'misrepresentation' was more about the facts of the person, like marital status or profession. Fast-forward to 2025, and we're living in an era where social engineering is a thing. What about when your partner is pretending to be someone they're not online? What about when they've lied about their intentions or plans for the marriage? This provision makes no sense today, and it's a relic of the past that needs to be updated. It's time to make our family law more inclusive of the complexities of modern life.