India, April 13 -- "Marriage is a sacrament that acts as a partnership of equals, rather than a master-servant relationship, necessitating mutual respect and shared responsibilities," said the Supreme Court of India.

The Supreme Court affirmed that a wife's inability or refusal to perform domestic chores does not constitute "mental cruelty." The Court emphasised that in modern times, household duties are not solely the wife's responsibility and that shared partnership is essential.

On March 20, 2026, a Bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta held that "wife is not a maid, wife is a life partner."

The fact of the case is that the husband filed a petition for divorce in the Family Court on the ground that the wife ...