India's government is urging the Supreme Court to reject efforts to update a 160-year-old rape law, arguing it could disrupt "the institution of marriage."

The Indian government has opposed petitions in the top court that seek criminalisation of marital rape, saying it would be "excessively harsh". The federal home ministry told the Supreme Court that "a man does not have a fundamental right" to force sex on his wife, but there were enough laws to protect married women against sexual violence.

India's government has asked the country's top court not to toughen criminal penalties against marital rape during an ongoing case brought by campaigners seeking to outlaw it.Chronic backlogs in India's criminal justice system mean some cases take decades to reach a resolution,

The Centre argued that the complexities of marriage differentiate non-consensual sex within it from similar acts outside while acknowledging a husband has no right to violate his wife's consent

India’s government has asked the country’s top court not to toughen criminal penalties against marital rape during an ongoing case brought by campaigners seeking to outlaw it. The penal code introduced in the 19th century during British colonial rule of India explicitly states that “sexual acts by a man with his own

The Indian government opposed calls to label non-consensual sexual acts by a husband on his wife as “rape”, saying it may impact conjugal relationships and disturb the institution of marriage. In its submission to the Supreme Court,

Entering a marriage, a woman gives "implied" consent for sex with her husband, India's government told the country's Supreme Court on Thursday as it faces off against challengers to a 164-year-old law.

The Centre opposes the criminalisation of marital rape, emphasizing the complexity of marital relationships and urging Parliament to decide on the matter. The government stresses protecting women's dignity while noting that consent violations within marriage have different penal consequences than those outside it.