The Price of a Bride : Dowry in Modern India and The Gaps in Legal Reform

Despite being prohibited and reformed for decades, dowry remains a deep-rooted socio-cultural practice in India. This research analyses the nature of dowry where it persists in modern Indian society and the limitations of existing and newly codified legal frameworks. Major provisions relating to dowry had been retained, with a minor change, by the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860 that had been replaced by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) in 2023. Nevertheless, the BNS does not contemplate how to deal with the structural and systemic deficiencies that allow dowry practices to thrive in the name of gifts or social customs. This research analyzes the cultural, economic, legal aspects of dowry; compares urban from rural pattern and other enforcement gaps, societal apathy and misuse theories that weaken the law. The research argues that legal reform alone is not enough without combined work in socio education and change at the community level. The research proposes suggestions for a holistic reform, which includes legislative clarity, stronger enforcement, gender sensitization as well as economic empowerment that will bridge the gap between law and lived reality of Indian women