Indian president Pratibha Devisingh Patil has just  given assent to a Bill passed by Parliament giving equal rights to women with regard to the guardianship and adoption of children.

‘The President has assented to the Personal Laws (Amendment) Act, 2010 on August 31, 2010 and it is published in the Gazette of India as Act 30 of 2010 on September 1, 2010,’ said an official statement.

The Act, cleared during the recently-concluded monsoon session of Parliament, has amended the Guardians and Wards Act, 1890 and the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956 to free both laws from gender bias.

Under the new law, a mother can now also become a legal guardian of a child, just like the father and courts of law need not appoint any other person as a guardian, if either of the parents is able and willing to do so.

Previously only the father was considered to be natural guardian of a child in a Hindu family for adoption and guardianship and only unmarried, divorced women and widows were allowed to adopt a child.

Now a mother with the consent of the father and vice versa will also have equal rights to give in adoption of their children. Earlier, a married woman could not adopt a son or daughter merely on the basis of her marital status.

This statement was published on indlawnews.com and the story was covered by the Times of India.

Thanks to @womensweb for this story.