In an observation that will cheer votaries of pre-marital sex and live-in-partners,the Supreme Court opined that a man and woman living together without marriage cannot be construed as an offence.
India has witnessed a drastic change in the way the present generation perceive their relationships. It was believed that marriage, despite its ups and downs, provides sanctity to a relationship and a modicum of purpose in life. On the other hand, a live-in relationship is one with no strings attached. The taboo that used to haunt
partners in live-in relationships has also started to fade away with society opening up about the idea of pre-marital sex and live-in relationships. This improved mindset is a result of freedom, privacy, profession, education and also globalisation. Moreover, for most of us – it is not an escape from responsibilities but a way to
understand our partner and to check if at all we are compatibility.
Marriage :
The institution of marriage is a socially and ritually accepted union and a contract between spouses that institutes rights and legal obligations towards each other. In light of the diverse culture in India, separate laws have been formulated which lay down the procedure and guidelines for proper execution of marriages in various
religions. Marriage laws have been created to provide remedies for disputes arising out of marriage in different religions. In addition to the law of maintenance under personal laws, Section-125 of the Code of Criminal Procedure2 also provides for maintenance if the wife is cannot maintain herself. Women can also seek extra-maintenance apart from the maintenance received by her under any other law as per Section- 20 (1) (d) of the
Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act.3
