India Supreme Court expands compassionate benefits to married daughters

The Supreme Court of India ruled that married daughters cannot be excluded from compassionate appointment benefits solely because of their marital status. The bench, comprising Justices P. S. Narasimha and Alok Aradhe, held that marriage does not automatically sever a daughter’s ties to her parental family and that dependency, not marital status, should determine eligibility.

The judgment overturns a Uttar Pradesh government provision that barred married daughters from receiving fair‑price shop allotments and other compassionate appointments after the death of a parent in service. The Court described the exclusion as arbitrary, gender‑based discrimination and emphasized that many married daughters continue to depend on, reside with, or support their parents. The decision is expected to influence future government policies and service rules concerning compassionate schemes across India.