Every Indian adult should be aware of these laws about sex and relationships

New Delhi: You know, come on! We still live in a culture that reacts excessively to sexual activity and relationships that deviate from the usual norms. For some people, living in India as a committed bachelor can feel like a Khatron Ke Khiladi adventure. However, since it is the twenty-first century, everything is governed by rules and legal rights. Not all laws currently in force, though, are quite progressive. Here are 12 rights and rules that every Indian should be aware of about relationships and sex in India.

1. Without getting married to your partner, you can still have sex with them:

You don’t need to be married to your partner to have sex with them. Consensual sexual activity between two consenting adults, whether they are homosexual or straight, is absolutely acceptable.

2. In India, same-sex weddings are not formally recognised:

You can now approach me and request that Section 377 be amended to remove the criminal penalty for homosexuality in India. It is a truth that all consensual sex between two consenting adults was made legal in the historic ruling of Navjet Singh Johar and others v. Union of India (2018) by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India. This includes intercourse between homosexuals.

Even if the courts continue to examine petitions in favour of same-sex marriages and civil unions, if you’re talking about spousal rights, then no, India does not recognise.

3. A child of a long-term cohabiting couple has claims to the parents’ ancestors’ property:

Any child that is the result of a live-in relationship is legal. The couple would be considered legally married if they lived together for an extended period of time.

In addition, the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India held in Kattukandi Edathil Krishnan & Anr vs. Kattukandi Edathil Valsan & Ors. that if a couple cohabitated for a long time, their child has a right to inherit ancestral property.

4. If you’re not yet married, you can check in at a hotel with your partner:

In India, two consenting adults with proper IDs are permitted to check into a hotel. However, some accommodations still won’t let unmarried couples check in. That’s simply the conservatism of the culture in which we live.

5. You can seek protection from an abusive relationship even if you live together:

The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act of 2005 recognises a woman’s right to seek safety from domestic abuse if she is in a domestic relationship with a person who is “related by consanguinity, marriage, or through a relationship in the nature of marriage, adoption, or is family members living together as a joint family.”