Age of Consent Must Stay 18, Say Doctors, Lawyers and Activists
As the Supreme Court examines a plea to lower the age of consent, a round table organised by SGT University in Delhi warned that such a move would erode child protection safeguards and endanger minors;
Strong opposition to proposals for lowering the age of consent in India was voiced at a round table discussion held in the capital on Thursday, with doctors, psychologists, lawyers and activists warning that any such move would endanger minors and erode hard-won child protection safeguards.
The discussion, titled “Intrusion on Civilization: Lowering the Age of Consent – Analysing Its Impact”, was organised by SGT University, Gurgaon, along with the Network for Access to Justice and Multidisciplinary Outreach Foundation at the India Habitat Centre. The programme was supported by the National Medicos Association and Aarogya Bharti.
National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) member Priyank Kanoongo, who delivered the keynote address, said child protection laws must not be diluted under the guise of reform.
Amogh Dev Rai, Research Director, Advance Study Institute of Asia, SGT University, delivered the Opening Remarks.
The event also saw participation from psychiatrists Dr. Nimesh Desai and Dr. Nishant Goyal, psychologist Dr. Amit Khanna, Dr. Pushpa, Dr. Varun, activist Seema Singh and Nidhi Sharma, Director of the Network for Access to Justice.
Drawing on medical, legal and social perspectives, speakers underscored that adolescents remain vulnerable to manipulation and exploitation, and lack the emotional maturity required for navigating sexual relationships. Many flagged concerns that reducing the age of consent below 18 would blur the line between protection and permissiveness, with long-term consequences for physical and mental health.
Speakers examined the wide-ranging legal, social and cultural consequences of reducing the age of consent, paying particular attention to cases involving adolescents in romantic relationships.
The discussions centred on how such a change could affect child safety, efforts to curb exploitation, and the preservation of social and cultural norms. The forum stressed the importance of a balanced approach to child protection laws, one that secures the rights and wellbeing of minors while taking into account broader social realities, without weakening the protective spirit of the current legal framework.
A comprehensive report presented at the event highlighted Section 15 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, which empowers Juvenile Justice Boards to conduct preliminary assessments to distinguish exploitative situations from non-exploitative, peer-level relationships.
The Supreme Court of India is currently seized with the legal challenge aimed at lowering the age of consent for sexual activity from 18 to 16 years in India. The Centre has firmly opposed any move to lower the threshold, asserting that the current legal framework is essential for the protection of minors.
The Network for Access to Justice and Multidisciplinary Outreach Foundation, and another NGO led by a trustee who is herself a survivor of human trafficking have approached the Supreme Court, seeking permission to intervene in the matter and aid the court in arriving at a decision.