Age of Consent Laws, Sexual Rights, and Adolescent Well-being in India: The Case for Close-in-Age Exemptions.

This article focuses on an interdisciplinary review of age of consent laws, particularly examining India’s Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, in relation to child protection, sexual rights, and psychological development. It highlights that mid- to late-adolescents often possess decision-making capacities comparable to adults in certain contexts but remain vulnerable in relationships with power imbalances. The review argues that blanket criminalization of all under-18 sexual activity may conflict with evidence and sexual rights principles, potentially causing harm by criminalizing consensual peer relationships and diverting attention from exploitative cases. The article recommends introducing close-in-age exemptions, minimum age thresholds, exclusions for power-imbalanced relationships, comprehensive sexuality education, and confidential adolescent-friendly sexual and reproductive health services to better align Indian law with both protection and recognition of adolescents’ evolving capacities. [Extracted from the article]