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Podcast: In Focus by The Hindu
Episode: Does India need to decriminalise teenage relationships?
Description: Senior advocate Indira Jaising, in a written submission to the Supreme Court recently, saidthat consesual sex between teenagers aged 16 to 18 must not be criminalised. Why is this a hot button issue? Under the Pocso or Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012, any sexual relationship under the age of 18 is a crime, as those below 18 are considered children, and therefore consent does not matter. This is not a new issue: child rights activists and court in India too, have for years now highlighted the fact that a chunk of cases filed under the Pocso Act are of consensual teenage r...