Sex, Law, and Lies: Dangerous Demand to Let 16-Year-Olds Consent

The so-called “liberal” brigade is back with another idea that reeks of reckless idealism disguised as reform — lowering the age of consent for sex from 18 to 16. This isn’t progress; it’s peril wrapped in woke packaging.

Leading this latest crusade is Indira Jaising, a veteran lawyer who once stood tall for women’s rights but now appears more intent on dismantling the very safeguards designed to protect them. The petition, which the Supreme Court is set to hear soon, claims that India’s current law under the POCSO Act “criminalises teenage love.” But what it truly does is shield adolescents from manipulation, grooming, and exploitation—often by older men who know exactly how to exploit “consent.”

When Woke Idealism Meets Indian Reality
It’s fashionable to parrot Western arguments about “teen autonomy” and “freedom to choose.” But India is not Sweden. Our society still battles child marriage, patriarchy, caste-driven violence, and religious exploitation. To pretend that 16-year-olds here are emotionally and socially equipped to handle sexual consent is to ignore ground reality—and biology.

Science is clear: the prefrontal cortex, responsible for reasoning and impulse control, isn’t fully developed at 16. That’s why teenagers are legally barred from voting, driving, or even buying alcohol. But somehow, the same lobby now thinks they’re mature enough to make life-altering sexual decisions? That’s not empowerment—it’s delusion.

The Hidden Dangers: Grooming, Coercion, and ‘Love Jihad’
Let’s be blunt. Lowering the age of consent will open floodgates for grooming rackets—many disguised as “romantic relationships.” We’ve seen how predators exploit young Hindu girls through deceitful “love jihad” traps, manipulating their emotions before luring them into conversion and exploitation. Under the current law, such acts fall squarely under statutory rape. But if consent at 16 becomes legal, it gives predators a perfect legal shield.

India already records one of the world’s highest rates of child sexual abuse. Instead of strengthening deterrents, this proposal weakens them. It will blur the line between consensual teenage relationships and criminal exploitation by adults—a line that must remain bright and unambiguous.

Indira Jaising’s Crusade: Progress or Provocation?
Jaising’s contributions to women’s rights are undeniable — she was the first woman to become a Senior Advocate in the Bombay High Court and a former Additional Solicitor General of India. But this latest campaign exposes a worrying detachment from India’s social fabric. Her argument that the law “targets inter-caste and inter-faith couples” is not only overstated but dangerous.

Instead of addressing false cases through procedural reform, she’s championing a structural change that puts all teenagers at risk. The POCSO Act was enacted in 2012 after years of activism demanding stronger protection for minors. It was meant to create a safety net. Jaising now seeks to tear it apart — all in the name of “freedom.”

The Truth They Don’t Want to Hear
The woke ecosystem thrives on half-truths and imported ideas. They romanticize teenage relationships, but ignore the predators waiting in the shadows. They talk about “agency,” but forget accountability. And in a country still grappling with poor sex education and patriarchal pressure, lowering the age of consent isn’t reform — it’s a direct assault on child protection.

India cannot afford to experiment with its children.
At 16, our girls deserve education, safety, and opportunity — not to be thrust into legal debates over “sexual autonomy.” Protecting childhood is not moral policing; it’s common sense.