Triple Talaq To Be An Offence

Here's your 10-point cheat-sheet to this big story:

1. The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017 has been passed in the Lok Sabha but has been stalled in the Rajya Sabha over protests by the opposition.
2. The bill was watered down to win the support of the Congress and other opposition parties.
3. "Triple talaq" is the practice of Muslim men getting an instant divorce by saying the word "talaq" thrice.
4. The proposed law makes "triple talaq" an offence with a jail term of up to three years and a fine. The woman will be entitled to maintenance.
5. In the reworked version, the complaint can be filed only by the woman or her family. The government has addressed concerns that anyone, even neighbours, could file complaints.
6. The woman can also drop charges if her husband is open to a compromise.
7. The possibility of bail has been brought in; a judge can decide whether to grant bail after hearing the wife.
8. The police still can't grant bail but a magistrate can, after hearing the woman. The non-bailable provision has been retained as a deterrent.
9. The proposed law also addresses "nikah halala", which requires the divorced woman to marry someone else and consummate the marriage if she wants to remarry her husband.
10. The significant changes, long demanded by the opposition, come ahead of the state elections due by December and the 2019 national polls.