Distinction between "custody" and "guardianship

Law maintains a distinction between custody and guardianship and respective rights and obligations in that regard under the Guardian and Wards Act, 1890.

The definition of ‘guardian’ in section 4(2) appears to include the concept of custody, unless the same has been exclusively awarded by the court to a party who is not the guardian of a minor.

Custody under the Act involves a right to the upbringing of a minor. On the other hand, guardianship entails the concept of taking care of the minor even in situations when the guardian does not have domain over the corpus of the child.

A father is considered to be a natural guardian of a minor, since even after separation from the mother, and even when the mother has been granted custody of a minor, he is obligated to provide financial assistance to the minor. The liability to maintain the minor is not only religious and moral but legal.

The right of custody of a minor is subordinate to the fundamental principle, i.e., the welfare of the minor. Maintenance of the child is the duty of the father, and the mother cannot be deprived of custody due to her inability to maintain the child for lack of resources.