Introduction

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court passed a ruling that allows the apex court to grant divorce in cases of what it termed irretrievable breakdown of marriage. The decision was made in line with the premises of Article 142.1 of the Constitution which states that complete justice should be done in any cause or matter. There are several grounds for divorce listed in India’s marriage acts, but until now, the irretrievable breakdown of marriage was not one of them. This ruling means that couples, who want to end their marriage without blaming their spouse for something like adultery or abuse, can do so. But this process isn't as simple as it seems. In this episode, The Hindu speaks with Geeta Ramaseshan about how much of an impact this ruling will actually have, and whether it helps empower women to leave unhealthy marriages.