What are the “prohibited degree of relationships” under the Special Marriage Act, 1954?

For people marrying as per the Hindu customers in India, there are certain relationships which are prohibited from getting married as per the law of the land. These prohibited degrees of relationships are derived from the age old beliefs and customs of the people of this country. These may or may not have any scientific reasons but derive their force from conventions and practices. If marriages are held within these  relationships, these are declared to be void legally. These do not have the legal sanction. The circumstances which make the marriages void and voidable are discussed here but let us have a look at the prohibited degrees of relationships. The same also applied for the Arya Samaj Marriage or any other marriage conduct in a different way.

These are provide in First Schedule Part I and II, as per the following table. Part I meant for the male person and the Part II is meant for the female person who want to get married.

PART I	PART II
1. Mother	1. Father
2. Father's widow (step-mother)	2. Mother's husband (step-father)
3. Mother's mother	3. Father's father
4. Mother's father's widow (step grand-mother)	4. Father's mother's husband (step-grandmother)
5. Mother's mother's mother	5. Father's father's father
6. Mother's mother's father's widow (step-great-grandmother)	6. Father's father's mother's husband (step-great-grandfather)
7. Mother's father's mother	7. Father's mother's father
8. Mother's father's father's widow (step-great-grandmother)	8. Father's mother's mother's husband (step-great-grandfather)
9. Father's mother	9. Mother's father
10. Father's father's widow (step-grandmother)	10. Mother's mother's husband (step-grandfather)
11. Father's mother's mother	11. Mother's father's father
12. Father's mother's father's widow (step-great-grandmother)	12. Mother's father's mother's husband (step-great-grandfather)
13. Father's father's mother	13. Mother's mother's father
14. Father's father's father's widow (step-great-grandmother)	14. Mother's mother's mother's husband(step-great-grandfather)
15. Daughter	15. Son
16. Son's widow	16. Daughter's husband
17. Daughter's daughter	17. Son's son
18. Daughter's son's widow	18. Son's daughter's husband
19. Son's daughter	19. Daughter's son
20. Son's son's widow	20. Daughter's daughter's husband
21. Daughter's daughter's daughter	21. Son's son's son
22. Daughter's daughter's son's widow	22. Son's son's daughter's husband
23. Daughter's son's daughter	23. Son's daughter's son
24. Daughter's son's son's widow	24. Son's daughter's daughter's husband
25. Son's daughter's daughter	25. Daughter's son's son
26. Son's daughter's son's widow	26. Daughter's son's daughter's husband
27. Son's son's daughter	27. Daughter's daughter's son
28. Son's son's son's widow	28. Daughter's daughter's daughter's husband
29. Sister	29. Brother
30. Sister's daughter	30. Brother's son
31. Brother's daughter	31. Sister's son
32. Mother's sister	32. Mother's brother
33.Father's sister	33. Father's brother
34. Father's brother's daughter	34. Father's brother's son
35. Father's sister's daughter	35. Father's sister's son
36. Mother's sister's-daughter	36. Mother's sister's son
37. Mother's brother's daughter	37. Mother's brother's son

Besides mentioning these relations explicitly, the law also provides that the term meaning of the term ‘relationship’ includes the following which are also prohibited:

1. relationship existing due to half or uterine blood or even by the full blood. To make things clear, a ‘half blood’ relationship is when there is a common ancestor but different wives, and a ‘full blood’ relationship is the one which has common ancestor and same wife. At the same time, it shall be mentioned that the ‘uterine blood’ relationship between two persons is said to exist when they have common ancestress but different husbands.

2. legitimate as well as illegitimate blood relationship.

3. relationship by adoption as well as by blood.