On Tuesday, the Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde quoted the 153-year-old IPC in support of his proposal to lower the consent age for sex to 16 years. Though, the anti-rape Bill passed by Parliament few days back retained the consent age for sex at 18 years.
"The consent age of 16 years was incorporated in IPC (Indian Penal Code) in 1860. No one had looked in to it (then) but when my ordinance came for correcting this…whole Parliament was against it”. He was speaking at a conference on Police Reforms in the country, called the criticism of his start for lowering the age as "ignorance of law".
Shinde added. “Can we say ignorance of law is not permissible that this country permitted (sic)?"
In the course of debate on this crucial issue the members of the Parliament wanted parity between the IPC and other laws that have been passed subsequently.
Shinde assured government’s committed shots to curb crime against women.He confessed that the brutal gang rape of Delhi has awakened the people of India