This refers to the editorial, “Changing juvenile laws” (August 8). The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Bill, 2014, has received the Union Cabinet's clearance, in an environment rife with growing crimes against women, with quite a few of them executed by minors. The amendments proposed to the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000, will make the law more effective. The amendment that has stoked a nationwide debate over lowering the cut-off age for juveniles from 18 to 16 years, so that the older ones can be tried as adults in a regular court.
According to the National Crime Records Bureau report, ‘Crime in India 2012', offences committed by juveniles haven't risen as such in totality, but it is worth noticing that incidents of rape committed by juveniles have risen precipitously. From 485 in 2002 it more than doubled to 1,149 in 2011. The critic's harangue that the Government has taken a decision in haste is misplaced.