Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

India against recognising same-sex marriage -court filing

In 2018, Supreme Court decriminalised homosexuality by scrapping a colonial-era ban on gay sex

India against recognising same-sex marriage -court filing

THE Indian government opposes same-sex marriage recognition, it said in a filing to the Supreme Court on Sunday (12), urging the court to reject LGBT couples' challenges to the current legal framework.

According to the filing, the ministry of law believes that, while there are various types of relationships in society, the legal recognition of marriage is for heterosexual relationships, and the state has a legitimate interest in maintaining this.


"Living together as partners and having sexual relationships with people of the same sex... is not comparable to the Indian family unit concept of a husband, wife, and children," the ministry argued.

The court cannot be asked to "change the entire legislative policy of the country, which is deeply embedded in religious and societal norms," it said.

In a historic verdict in 2018, India's top court decriminalised homosexuality by scrapping a colonial-era ban on gay sex. The current case is being seen as a further important development on LGBT rights in the country.

At least 15 pleas, some by gay couples, have been filed in recent months asking the court to recognise same-sex marriages, setting the stage for this legal face-off with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government.

"Sad that their concept of 'Indian' is so non-inclusive and static that it does not want to evolve according to wider notions of human rights," filmmaker and equal rights activist Onir wrote on Twitter.

Three lawyers and two petitioners that Reuters reached out to either refused to comment or chose not to respond.

In India, the issue of same-sex marriage is sensitive: speaking openly about homosexuality is taboo for many in the socially conservative country of 1.4 billion people.

The issue has stoked emotions in the media and in parliament, where a member of Modi's ruling Hindu nationalist party in December asked the government to strongly oppose the petitions filed in the top court.

LGBT activists say that while the 2018 ruling affirmed their constitutional rights, it is unjust that they still lack legal backing for their unions, a basic right enjoyed by heterosexual married couples.

"We can't do so many things in the process of living together and building a life together," one of the litigants in the current case, businessman Uday Raj Anand, said in December.

In Sunday's filing, the government argued the 2018 ruling cannot mean recognising a fundamental legal right to same-sex marriage under the laws of the country.

The intent behind the current legal system on marriage "was limited to the recognition of a legal relationship of marriage between a man and a woman, represented as a husband and wife."

The government has argued that any change to the legal structure should be the domain of the elected parliament, not the court.

The cases are set to be heard in the Supreme Court on Monday (13).

(Reuters)

More For You

 Terminal 4 of Heathrow Airport

Passengers walk back to the reopened terminal after emergency services responded to what they called a 'possible hazardous materials incident' at Terminal 4 of Heathrow Airport.

Reuters

Heathrow’s Terminal 4 reopens after hazardous materials alert

HEATHROW Airport has reopened Terminal 4 after it was evacuated on Monday evening following what authorities described as a "possible hazardous materials incident."

The airport said the terminal was declared safe and apologised for the disruption. In a post on X, Heathrow said it was "doing everything we can" to make sure flights depart as planned.

Keep ReadingShow less
Nepal protests

Demonstrators weild stones and sticks as they clash with riot police personnel during a protest outside the parliament in Kathmandu on September 8, 2025. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Nepal PM Oli quits as anti-corruption protests spiral, leaving 19 dead

Highlights:

  • Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli resigns amid violent anti-corruption protests
  • At least 19 killed and more than 100 injured as police clash with demonstrators
  • Social media ban lifted after protests turned deadly across Nepal
  • UN and Amnesty call for probe, two cabinet ministers also resign

NEPAL prime minister KP Sharma Oli resigned on Tuesday, his aide said, as anti-corruption demonstrators defied an indefinite curfew and clashed with police, a day after 19 people died in violent protests triggered by a social media ban.

Keep ReadingShow less
Vijay-Mallya-Getty

Vijay Mallya, accused of loan defaults of over about £756 million, has been living in the UK and is contesting extradition. (Photo: Getty Images)

UK team inspects Delhi jail as India pursues extradition of fugitives

INDIA’s efforts to secure the extradition of high-profile economic offenders from the United Kingdom, including Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya, have moved forward with a recent visit by a team from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to Tihar Jail in Delhi, an official said on Sunday (September 7).

The CPS delegation visited the prison last week to review jail conditions as required by UK courts before deciding on extradition requests, the official said.

Keep ReadingShow less
Shabana Mahmood

The minister, promoted from the Ministry of Justice during prime minister Keir Starmer’s Cabinet reshuffle last Friday, said securing the country’s borders would be her main focus.

Getty Images

Shabana Mahmood warns of visa cuts for countries refusing to take back migrants

Highlights:

  • Mahmood warns countries refusing to take back migrants could face visa suspensions
  • More than 1,000 migrants crossed the Channel in small boats over the weekend
  • Mahmood hosted Five Eyes ministers from the US, Australia, New Zealand and Canada in London
  • Home secretary says border security will be her main focus after Cabinet reshuffle
  • NEWLY-APPOINTED home secretary Shabana Mahmood on Monday (September 8) outlined a tougher approach on immigration, warning that countries refusing to take back illegal migrants could face visa suspensions.

    Keep ReadingShow less
    migrants cross Channel

    Migrants wade into the sea to board a dinghy to cross the English Channel on August 25, 2025 in Gravelines, France.(Photo: Getty Images)

    Over 1,000 migrants cross Channel on Shabana Mahmood’s first day as home secretary

    MORE than 1,000 migrants arrived on small boats across the Channel on Shabana Mahmood’s first full day as home secretary, taking total arrivals this year past 30,000.

    The Home Office said 1,097 migrants crossed on Saturday after nine days without any arrivals. It was the second-highest daily total this year, after 1,195 on May 31. Crossings have now reached 30,100 — 37 per cent higher than at this point in 2023 and 8 per cent higher than 2022, the record year.

    Keep ReadingShow less