Under the wording of section 6(a) of the Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act, 1956, what is the stated…

Section 6(a) of the Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act specifies the father and "after him" the mother for a legitimate unmarried girl, with absence rather than death alone understood after Githa Hariharan (1999). For an illegitimate unmarried girl, Section 6(b) gives the mother priority, so legitimacy is necessary to distinguish the orders.