The legal frameworkThe age of consent refers to the legally defined age at which an individual can consent to sexual activity. Historically, India’s age of consent has evolved significantly — from 10 years under the 1860 IPC to 12 (Age of Consent Act, 1891), then 14, and subsequently 16 until POCSO raised it to 18 in 2012. Advocates for lowering the age of consent argue that the current law fails to recognise adolescent sexuality, infringing on the autonomy of 16-18-year-olds capable of giving mature consent. In many Western democracies, the consent age is 16, with safeguards against coercion and abuse. Most recently, the Law Commission’s 283rd Report (2023) on the age of consent warned that reducing the age of consent would render POCSO a “paper law”, undermining efforts to combat child marriage, prostitution, and trafficking.

Source: The Hindu January 12, 2026 03:10 UTC