Future Generations Should Be Made Aware Of Dowry, Consider Necessary Changes To Educational Curricula Across Levels: SC
The bench stressed that 'concentrated effort' of all was needed to deal with the issue and passed a slew of directions.
Published : December 15, 2025 at 10:59 PM IST
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday said future generations should be made aware about evil practice of dowry and directed that states and Centre consider necessary changes to the educational curricula across levels, reinforcing the constitutional position that parties to a marriage are equal to one another and one is not subservient to the other.
A bench comprising justices Sanjay Karol and N Kotiswar said that the eradication of dowry is an urgent constitutional and social necessity. The bench also flagged that existing laws suffer from both "ineffectiveness" and "misuse", and that the evil practice remains rampant. The bench said dowry is not a feature only amongst the Hindus, but it can also be found in other communities professing different faiths and religions.
“In Islam, dowry, stricto senso, is prohibited. What is prescribed is, in fact, the reverse. ‘mehr’ is a compulsory gift that the groom is required to give to the bride at the time of marriage. It is an essential part of the nikah (marriage contract), without which the contract is considered incomplete. The mehr can take many forms - money, jewellery, property, or any valuable as agreed upon by the couple - but what defines it is that it belongs solely to the bride and cannot be taken back by the husband or his family”, said the bench.
The bench stressed that “concentrated effort” of all was needed to deal with the issue and passed a slew of directions.
The bench said that to ensure that the change brought in is able to make an impact on the efforts to eradicate this evil, it is to be ensured that the future generation, youngsters of today, are informed and made aware about this evil practice and the necessity to eschew it. “As such, it is directed that States and even the Union Government consider changes as are necessary to the educational curricula across levels, reinforcing the constitutional position that parties to a marriage are equal to one another and one is not subservient to the other as is sought to be established by giving and taking of money and or articles at the time of marriage”, it said.
The bench asked the high courts to ascertain the number of pending cases dealing with sections 304-B and 498-A of IPC -- from the earliest to the latest -- for expeditious disposal.
While Section 304-B of the erstwhile Indian Penal Code deals with dowry death, Section 498-A pertains to the offence of husband or his relatives subjecting a married woman to cruelty.
The bench delivered the verdict in a 24-year-old case of dowry death. "While on the one hand, the law suffers from ineffectiveness and so, the malpractice of dowry remains rampant, on the other hand, the provisions of this Act (Dowry Prohibition Act) have also been used to ventilate ulterior motives along with Section 498-A, IPC," said the bench.
"This oscillation between ineffectiveness and misuse creates a judicial tension which needs urgent resolution", said the bench.
The bench said the law provides for the appointment of dowry prohibition officers in states and it is to be ensured that these officers are duly deputed and given the necessary wherewithal to carry out the duties entrusted to them.
The apex court's order came on appeals filed by the Uttar Pradesh government challenging the Allahabad High Court's verdict, which acquitted two persons, including a woman, in a 2001 dowry death case. The apex court allowed the appeals and restored their conviction in the case. However, it refrained from incarcerating the woman convict, considering that she was 94 years old. The bench directed the man to surrender within four weeks to serve the life sentence awarded to him by the trial court.
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