New Delhi: A group of doctors, psychologists, rights activists and lawyers on Thursday strongly opposed any attempt to reduce the statutory age of consent for sexual activity from 18 to 16 years, warning it could endanger the physical, psychological and social well-being of adolescents.
At a roundtable organised at the India Habitat Centre by SGT University, Gurugram, in collaboration with the Network for Access to Justice and the Multidisciplinary Outreach Foundation, participants cautioned that adolescents at 16 are “not mature enough” to handle the emotional and health-related consequences of sexual relationships.
NHRC’s Warning
National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) member Priyank Kanoongo, delivering the keynote address, termed the proposal a “time bomb” that, if not “defused,” would “explode inside families.”
He highlighted rising student suicides linked to exam pressure, pointing out that those in Class 10 and 12—aged 16 to 18—are already highly vulnerable. “In such a country, how can we grant permission to youngsters to engage in sexual relationships at the age of 16?” he asked.
Kanoongo also alleged that those who petitioned the Supreme Court to lower the age “have their own agenda,” and warned of an increase in teenage pregnancies, relationship-related stress, and suicidal tendencies among young males if the law is diluted.
The Legal Debate
The Supreme Court is currently examining the issue after senior advocate and amicus curiae Indira Jaising urged it to reconsider the blanket criminalisation of consensual sexual activity among 16–18-year-olds under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and Section 375 of the IPC.
Jaising, in her submissions in the Nipun Saxena vs Union of India case, argued that the present framework violates adolescents’ constitutional rights by criminalising consensual romantic relationships. “Criminalising sex between teenagers is arbitrary, unconstitutional, and against the best interests of children,” she said, noting that today’s adolescents attain puberty earlier and are capable of forming relationships of their choice.
Medical and Psychological Concerns
Doctors from several Delhi hospitals, psychologists from the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS), and experts like Nishant Goyal of the Central Institute of Psychiatry (CIP) Ranchi, participated in the discussion. They cautioned that 16-year-olds lack the social, mental and psychological preparedness for sexual relationships. “It will be wrong,” Goyal stressed.
Participants emphasised that India’s social context is different from Western countries and requires a “nuanced and balanced approach” that protects adolescents without undermining existing child protection frameworks.
Outcome of the Session
The nearly two-hour discussion concluded with a declaration circulated among participants for endorsement. A report prepared by the Multidisciplinary Outreach Foundation was also released.
The forum agreed that while laws must protect adolescents, reforms should not come at the cost of exposing vulnerable children to additional risks, urging policymakers to avoid hasty changes.
