Govt drops plan to lower age for consensual sex

New Delhi: The Ministry of Women and Child Development has dropped a controversial clause seeking to make non-penetrative sex by 12-year-old children legal. The clause has been dropped from the draft Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Bill, 2010.
The ministry has sent the draft Bill to the states for their views. The Bill states that any consensual non-penetrative sexual act between children over 12 years of age is not an offence.
The Bill seeks to decriminalize consensual sexual act between two persons over 14 years of age. The bill also seeks to bring down the age of consent for sex, which is 16 years at present.
But Women and Child Development Minister Krishna Tirath said they would go ahead with the age for consensual sex at 16 years.

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