Domestic Violence Act 2005: History and Relevance

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• Oct 26, 2021 | Sourav Boruah

On this day, the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005 was brought into action by the Indian government and Ministry of Women and Child Development on 26 October 2006. 

This is an act of Parliament of India authorized to protect women from domestic violence. The Act specifies "domestic violence" for the first time in Indian law. This meaning is deep and encompasses physical violence and different forms of violence such as emotional/verbal, sexual, and economic abuse. 

It is a civil law intended principally for protection orders rather than criminal enforcement. Domestic violence is not physical violence solely. Domestic violence is any form of an act, the purpose of which is to obtain power and authority over a wife, spouse, girl/boyfriend, or close family member.