Is It Legal To Display Affection in Public (PDA)?

No, public display of affection (PDA) is not fully legal in India. Under Section 294 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), obscene acts in public causing annoyance are punishable by up to three months' imprisonment or a fine.

However, simple acts like holding hands or a brief hug between consenting adults are generally not considered illegal if they don’t offend public decency.

The Supreme Court in ABC v. State of NCT Delhi (2015) upheld individual freedom under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution but clarified that this does not permit public indecency or acts that disturb public order.