Written by, May 26 -- Debanjan Borthakur

The question is not merely whether a state government can ban live-in relationships. The deeper question is: why does the modern state repeatedly feel tempted to enter the bedroom of consenting adults? In India, this question has become urgent again after reports that Assam's proposed Uniform Civil Code Bill will cover marriage, divorce, succession, and live-in relationships. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said the Bill will be tabled in the Assam Assembly on May 26, while Scheduled Tribes are reportedly exempted from its purview.

An outright ban on live-in relationships between consenting adults would almost certainly face a serious constitutional challenge. The Supreme Court of India ha...