UPSC Prelims 1995·GS1·polity-and-governance·governance

In which one of the following States of India it is legal for a Hindu male and illegal for a Muslim male to have more than one living wife?

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Last updated 8 Jul 2026, 4:39 pm IST
  1. ANagaland
  2. BMizoram
  3. CGoaCorrect
  4. DArunachal Pradesh

Explanation

The correct answer is Goa because of the Goa Civil Code, which is based on the Portuguese Civil Code of 1867. While India generally follows personal laws based on religion, Goa follows a common civil code. Under this code, polygamy is generally prohibited for all communities, including Muslims. However, a specific and rare exception exists for Hindu males under the Code of Gentile Hindus and Usages of Goa of 1880. A Hindu man is permitted a second marriage only under very strict conditions, such as the total absence of children by the first wife by age 25 or the absence of a male child by age 30. Because the Shariat Act of 1937 was never extended to Goa, Muslim men there are governed by the common code which enforces monogamy, making Goa the only state where this specific legal distinction exists.

polity-and-governance: In which one of the following States of India it is legal for a Hindu male and illegal for a Muslim male to have more th
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