New Delhi, July 23 -- "You are so educated. You should not have to ask, you should earn for yourself," Chief Justice of India Bhushan R Gavai told a woman during a Supreme Court hearing on Tuesday, as the bench questioned her demand for a Rs.12 crore alimony, a flat and a BMW car after a marriage that lasted just 18 months.

Delivering the remark in Hindi: "Aap itni padhi-likhi hain. Aapko khudko maangna nahi chahiye, aur khud kama ke khana chahiye", the CJI made a strong case for financial self-reliance among educated women, particularly professionals.

The woman in question, an MBA and a former banking professional, demanded a one-time settlement of Rs.12 crore and a flat in the upscale Kalpataru complex in Mumbai, free of cost and encu...