Under Section 63(c) of the Indian Succession Act, 1925, what is the minimum number of witnesses required to attest an unprivileged will?

Section 63 of the Indian Succession Act, 1925 lays down the mandatory procedural requirements for executing an "unprivileged will," meaning a will made by an ordinary civilian testator rather than a soldier, airman, or mariner in active service. Clause (c) specifically requires that the will be attested by two or more witnesses, each of whom must either see the testator sign or affix their mark on the will, see another person sign at the testator's direction, or receive a personal acknowledgment from the testator regarding their signature. Importantly, the Supreme Court clarified in 2025 that Section 63(c) uses the word "or," meaning fulfilling any one of these alternative conditions is legally sufficient, rather than requiring all conditions cumulatively. The law also does not require both attesting witnesses to be present simultaneously when the testator signs, so they may attest the will separately at different times. This requirement works alongside Section 68 of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872, which similarly mandates that a person seeking to prove a will must establish not just the testator's signature, but also that the attestation strictly followed the manner prescribed under Section 63(c).