The Changing Nature Of Marriage In India: A Spotlight On Live-In Relationships
- IJLLR Journal
- Nov 10, 2025
- 1 min read
Dr. Sumit Kumar, Assistant Professor, SRRS Law College, Nohar.
ABSTRACT
In India, marriage has always been considered sacred. The relationships developing between men and women outside the realm of marriage have always been condemned, but today people have got the freedom to live in marriage-like relationships (live-in relationships) without marriage. These options have raised questions on the foundation of the traditional marital institution because, in traditional Indian society, living in such relationships is considered unacceptable and prohibited. According to traditional Indian society, such relationships destroy the institution of marriage, and the impact of the destruction of a sacred institution like marriage is not only on the husband and wife but on the entire family, progeny and society, and this creates a mess in the social life. On the other hand, in modern Indian society, the acceptance of such relationships is increasing, and the situation among the youth is changing towards live-in relationships. And the Indian legal system also does not consider it a crime to live in such a relationship. In this way, a topic of heated debate has arisen in India between traditional marriage and live-in relationships. This paper examines the changing circumstances of marriage and marital relations in India and the increasing number of live- in relationships as an alternative to traditional marriage.
Keywords: Marriage, Live-in relationship, Morality, Society.
