The Supreme Court of India held that a mother’s independent income cannot, by itself, justify reducing the father’s child maintenance obligation. The Court restored an interim maintenance award of ₹60,000 per month for two minor daughters after the Allahabad High Court had reduced it to ₹30,000 because the mother earned ₹1.5 lakh monthly. A Bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta emphasized that maintenance must not be divided through a simple mathematical calculation. Although both parents share responsibility for their children, the Court recognised that the parent providing daily care, upbringing and household responsibilities makes a substantial contribution that cannot be measured solely in monetary terms. The daughters lived with their mother, who was also working as a doctor. The ruling reinforces the principles of child welfare, parental responsibility, maintenance, financial capacity and best interests of the child.