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nism-series-xb-privileged-will-soldiers-mariners-succession-act[ INVESTMENT ADVISER (LEVEL 2) ]

Under Sections 65 and 66 of the Indian Succession Act, 1925, what is a 'Privileged Will' and who is legally entitled to execute it?

[ A ]A simplified Will that can be made ORALLY before two witnesses or written by hand WITHOUT formal witness attestation, available exclusively to soldiers, airmen, or mariners engaged in actual military warfare or active naval expeditions.[ CORRECT ]
[ B ]A Will executed by members of Parliament with 100 witnesses.
[ C ]A Will executed by commercial real estate builders.
[ D ]Privileged Wills are strictly prohibited in India.
Takeaway

The correct answer is A: a Privileged Will under Sections 65-66 of the Indian Succession Act, 1925 can be made orally before two witnesses or in an unattested handwritten form, and is available only to soldiers, airmen or mariners engaged in actual warfare or active expedition.

Derivation
The Succession Act's default rules for a valid Will demand a written document, signed by the testator, and attested by at least two witnesses -- formalities that are impractical for someone in the middle of active combat or a naval expedition who may have no time or witnesses available. Sections 65 and 66 create a narrow, privileged exception: a soldier, airman or mariner actually engaged in warfare or expedition (not merely enlisted or on leave) may make a valid Will orally in front of witnesses, or by an informal handwritten note without attestation. This relaxation is deliberately narrow -- it lapses once the privileged status/circumstance ends -- which is the nuance most often tested.
Why the others fail
B — A Will executed by members of Parliament with 100 witnesses.
Fabricated eligibility; the privilege belongs to soldiers, airmen and mariners in active service, not to Members of Parliament, and no 100-witness rule exists.
C — A Will executed by commercial real estate builders.
Irrelevant fabrication; privileged wills relate to military/naval combatants, not to commercial real estate professionals.
D — Privileged Wills are strictly prohibited in India.
False; Sections 65 and 66 expressly create and legally recognize privileged wills for the specified categories of armed forces personnel.