Correct Option
The correct option isIt applies to all states and Union Territories of India.
Explanation
The Hindu Succession Amendment Act, 2005, amended the Hindu Succession Act, 1956, to remove gender discriminatory provisions in the inheritance of property. The subject of "Wills, intestacy, and succession" falls under Entry 5 of the Concurrent List (List III) in the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution.
Analysis of Options:
- It applies only to agricultural land, not residential property. is Incorrect: The 2005 Amendment omitted Section 4(2) of the original 1956 Act. Section 4(2) had previously exempted agricultural land from the purview of the Act. By removing this section, the 2005 Amendment extended the applicability of the Act to agricultural land as well as residential and other properties.
- It applies to all states and Union Territories of India. is Correct: The Act extends to the whole of India. (Prior to the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, the Act extended to the whole of India except the State of Jammu and Kashmir. Following the 2019 reorganization, central laws, including this Act, apply to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir as well).
- It allows states to opt-out based on local customs. is Incorrect: The Act is a central legislation under the Concurrent List. It does not provide a provision for states to "opt-out" based on local customs. Section 4 of the Act gives it an overriding effect over any text, rule, or interpretation of Hindu Law or any custom or usage as part of that law.
- It applies only to families below the poverty line. is Incorrect: The Act applies to all persons governed by the Hindu Succession Act (Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, and Sikhs) regardless of their economic status.
Key Takeaway:
The Hindu Succession Amendment Act, 2005, removed the exemption for agricultural land, thereby bringing it within the scope of central succession laws, and granted daughters equal rights as coparceners in joint family property.