Why is it in the news?
→ Supreme Court in State of Uttar Pradesh vs Anurudh & Anr. (2026) flagged misuse of POCSO in consensual adolescent relationships.
→ Centre urged to consider corrective measures.
Category: Polity
Important Points
- Age of consent in India is 18 years under POCSO Act, 2012.
- Anyone below 18 is legally a child; consent has no legal validity.
- Section 19 of POCSO mandates reporting of suspected offences.
- The IPC age of consent evolved from 10 → 12 (1891) → 14 → 16 → 18 (POCSO 2012).
- Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013 aligned IPC rape provisions with POCSO.
- Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 Section 63 retains 18 years threshold.
- NFHS-4: 39% girls reported their first sexual experience before 18.
- Studies (2016–20): ~25% POCSO cases involved consensual adolescent relationships.
- Law Commission 283rd Report (2023) opposed lowering age of consent.
- Parliamentary Standing Committees (2011, 2012) rejected close-in-age exemptions.