in the entire discussion i feel that the whole matter is becoming too selfish. indian society is not based on selfish nature. it means we always think about our beloved persons. wether they are our parents, relatives or any dependants. thats where the problem comes. live-in couples are living with their parents ? not at all. they just live two of them. then what about the responsibilities of their parents ? and moreover what about children ? thats the main point where it becomes complicated thing. for how many years you will live just like that without having children ? because if they have it without marriage then the child doesn,t get any legal identity. 'family' is the power of our indian culture. thats our strength. western countries are now realizing it. nobody is perfect in this world, my dear. how many 'samples' do you want to test ? somewhere you have to zero. there are advantages & disadvantages of both. but marriages are making family institution which is healthy for society. live-in relations are breaking the families. now you have to decide wether you want to make or break ?