Pehle ke zamane me “illegitimate child” jaisa label bohot stigmatic tha. Modern law isko reject karne ki direction me move kar raha hai. Child ki legal status unke parents ki marital choices se define nahi honi chahiye – yeh principle broadly accept ho chuka hai.
Social status ke angle se, aise children ko education, identity documents, and basic civil rights me discrimination nahi milni chahiye. Courts ne repeatedly emphasise kiya hai ki unko “innocent party” treat kiya jaye.
Inheritance tricky area hai. Many systems ab mandate karte hain ki child ko at least father ke self-acquired property me certain rights mil sakte hain, specially jab paternity recognised ho (voluntarily ya court order se). Ancestor joint property, personal law variations, and succession statutes yahan complexity laate hain, isliye exact share jurisdiction-specific hota hai.
Mother ke side se rights generally clearer hote hain, kyunki maternity rarely disputed hoti hai. Father ke denial cases me DNA testing important tool ban gaya hai.
Big picture: stigma reduce ho raha hai, lekin societal attitudes aur outdated statutes abhi bhi gap create karte hain. Courts gradually is gap ko fill karne ki koshish kar rahe hain, child-centric approach adopt karke.