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The Madhya Pradesh High Court has rejected a wife’s plea for enhanced personal maintenance while directing her husband to pay Rs 46.26 lakh towards their two daughters’ higher education.

The wife had sought higher maintenance, arguing that the husband’s actual financial capacity exceeded what was reflected in his income tax returns. The husband countered that he faced debts of around Rs 20 lakh and had suffered loss of earning capacity due to the matrimonial dispute.

Justice Gajendra Singh noted that the wife holds a Bachelor of Education degree and declined to increase her personal maintenance. However, the court held that a father is legally obliged to fund his daughters’ education and cannot deprive them of opportunities when he has sufficient means.

One daughter is pursuing a medical course in Kyrgyzstan (expenses approx. Rs 26.69 lakh) and the other a B.Tech at Manipal University, Jaipur (approx. Rs 19.56 lakh). The court emphasised that women’s empowerment must be implemented in practice, not remain on paper.