The Centre on Thursday told the Parliament that matters related to live-in relationships are covered under the provisions of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, citing the Supreme Court judgements.

Law Minister Kiren Rijiju made the clarification while answering a question by Congress MP Rajani Patil. The legislator had asked the Union government whether it intends to introduce a system to protect couples in live-in relationships.

Citing the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, the minister said that “‘domestic relationship’ means a relationship between two persons who live or have, at any point of time, lived together in a shared household, when they are related by consanguinity, marriage, or through a relationship in the nature of marriage, adoption or are family members living together as a joint family.”

Consensual sexual acts of adults in private are constitutional, Rijiju said.

Patil had also sought to know whether the Centre intends to recognise non-heterosexual live-in relationships to which Rijiju made no reply.