“India, NRIs and the Law” is a compilation of articles written by Anil Malhotra, a Chandigarh-based advocate on problems and issues which pertain to non-resident Indians and all those persons who may be closely or remotely related to them.

The problems include subjects like marriage, divorce, domestic violence, spousal maintenance, adoption, succession, inheritance, probate and surrogacy.

The book was released by Union Law and Justice Minister M. Veerappa Moily at a function here over the weekend. Also present were Indian Society of International Law president Ram Niwas Mirdha, Law Commission of India chairman Dr. Justice A.R. Lakshmanan and former Attorney General of India Mr. Soli Sorabjee.

According to Mr. Malhotra, the lure of settling in foreign jurisdictions attracts a sizeable Indian population but the problems created by such migration largely remain unresolved.

For example, an NRI abandoning the bride in a foreign country or the girl coming back to India with the child is a common problem.

No special Indian legislation exists to combat such remedies, he said, adding that a codified law on the subject is an absolute necessity. “Till then registration of marriages must be made compulsory. This will in turn ensure compliance of conditions of a valid marriage, provide proof of marriage and act as a deterrent for bigamous practices,” he said.