The Indian Succession Act

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Covering
Liability of executors
Mutual will
Alteration and revocation of grant
Two wills, one probate
Intestate and testamentary succession
Applicability of the Act to tribals
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Description
The Indian Succession Act 1925 consolidated several pre-existing Central Acts enacted between 1841 and 1903. This Act has been in force for near about a century. This Act is the sole legislative measure in India dealing with the substantive law of testamentary succession in regard to persons other than Muslims and of intestate succession in regard to persons other than Hindus and Muslims. The institution of succession is intimately connected with private property. It serves a variety of values cherished by a free society. The testate and intestate succession are only a part of the wider process of succession. In this work, I have endeavoured to lay before the readers some luminous and noble principles which help them to interpret various statutory provisions so as to give proper meaning to the legislative intent. Commentaries on sections are sketched in such fashion that it will act as the most excellent examples of application of the rules of logic to the affairs of succession. Different rules have been provided to meet different contingencies and I have tried to cover all those aspects.
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Contents
Part I - Preliminary
Part II - Of Domicile
Part III - Marriage
Part IV - Of Consanguinity
Part V - Intestate Succession
Chapter 1.    Preliminary
Chapter 2.    Rules in Cases of Intestate other than Parsis
Chapter 3.    Special Rules for Parsis Intestates
Part VI - Testamentary Succession
Chapter 1.    Introductory
Chapter 2.    Of Wills and Codicils
Chapter 3.    Of the Execution of Unprivileged Wills
Chapter 4.    Of Privileged Wills
Chapter 5.    Of the Attestation, Revocation, Alteration and Revival of Wills
Chapter 6.    Of the Construction of Wills
Chapter 7.    Of Void Bequests
Chapter 8.    Of the Vesting of Legacies
Chapter 9.    Of Onerous Bequests
Chapter 10.  Of Contingent Bequests
Chapter 11.  Of Conditional Bequests
Chapter 12.  Of Bequests with Directions as to Application or Enjoyment
Chapter 13.  Of Bequests to an Executor
Chapter 14.  Of Specific Legacies
Chapter 15.  Of Demonstrative Legacies
Chapter 16.  Of Ademption of Legacies
Chapter 17.  Of the Payment of Liabilities in Respect of the Subject of a Bequest
Chapter 18.  Of Bequests of Things Described in General Terms
Chapter 19.  Of Bequests of the Interest or Produce of a Fund
Chapter 20.  Of Bequests of Annuities
Chapter 21.  Of Legacies to Creditors and Portioners
Chapter 22.  Of Election
Chapter 23.  Of Gifts in Contemplation of Death
Part VII - Protection of Property Deceased
Part VIII - Representative Title to Property of Deceased on Succession
Part IX - Probate, Letters of Administration and Administration of Assets of Deceased
Chapter 1.    Of Grant of Probate and Letters of Administration
Chapter 2.    Of Limited Grants
Chapter 3.    Alteration and Revocation of Grants
Chapter 4.    Of the Practice in Granting and Revoking Probates and Letters of Administration
Chapter 5.    Of Executors of their own Wrong
Chapter 6.    Of the Powers of an Executor or Administrator
Chapter 7.    Of the Duties of an Executor or Administrator
Chapter 8.    Of Assent to a Legacy by executor or Administrator
Chapter 9.    Of the Payment and Apportionment of Annuities
Chapter 10.  Of the Investment of Funds to provide for Legacies
Chapter 11.  Of the Produce and Interest of Legacies
Chapter 12.  Of the Refunding of Legacies
Chapter 13.  Of the Liability of an Executor or Administrator for Devastation
Part X - Succession Certificates
Part XI - Miscellaneous
Schedules
Appendices
1.    Model Forms
2.    The Hindu Succession Act, 1956
3.    List of Amending Act/Ordinaces/Regulations/Adaption Orders
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Author Details
Sukumar Ray, LLM, Judge, City Civil Court at Calcutta
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