From Statute to Lived Reality: Institutional Gaps in Addressing Domestic Violence Against Women in India

India’s response to domestic violence has undergone a significant transformation with the enactment of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, which expanded the understanding of abuse beyond physical harm and introduced civil remedies aimed at protection and rehabilitation. Despite this progressive statutory framework, the everyday experiences of women seeking protection reveal persistent gaps between legal intent and institutional practice. This paper examines domestic violence governance in India through an institutional and sociological lens, arguing that the failure of protection mechanisms is rooted less in legal inadequacy and more in fragmented governance, weak institutional accountability, and deeply embedded social norms. By analysing the roles of police, courts, protection officers, and allied welfare institutions, the study demonstrates how domestic violence law is routinely mediated by moral assumptions about marriage, reconciliation, and female responsibility. The paper contends that domestic violence governance in India operates as a layered system of partial interventions rather than a coherent protective regime. It concludes by proposing a shift toward integrated, accountability-driven, and survivor-centred institutional frameworks that align legal mandates with lived realities.