Which of the following provisions is/are not directly covered in the definition of Domestic violence under the ‘Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 ?

The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act (PWDVA), 2005, provides a comprehensive definition of 'domestic violence' under Section 3. It explicitly includes physical abuse (harm, injury, or pain), sexual abuse, verbal and emotional abuse (insults, harassment, and repeated threats), and economic abuse (deprivation of financial resources or assets) [2]. The Act specifically covers harassment related to unlawful dowry demands as a form of domestic violence [1]. However, behavioral issues such as the non-sharing of household work, a non-caring attitude toward children, unhealthy living habits, or late coming by a male partner are not 'directly' codified as domestic violence under the statutory definition. While such behaviors may contribute to marital discord, they do not meet the legal threshold of physical, sexual, verbal, or economic abuse defined in the Act. Therefore, option 3 is the provision not directly covered.

Sources

1. [1] Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 59: National Commission for Women > WORKING" > p. 482
2. [2] Democratic Politics-II. Political Science-Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 3: Gender, Religion and Caste > Daily time use (hours: minutes) > p. 34