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POCSO Act 2012 Mandatory 7-Year Sentence, SC Urges 'Romeo & Juliet' Clause for Consensual Adolescent Sex

Target:UPSC GS-IIMPSCTeachingSSC GAPrelims HighMains HighStatic GK Link
27 Feb 2026
~2 min
Source: The Hindu
Key Data:24.3% romantic cases7 years minimum sentenceAge of consent 18Section 19 POCSO
Bodies:Supreme Court of IndiaChild Welfare Committee (CWC)
Practice MCQs from today's news ▸
What This Article Covers

1.Supreme Court in Jan 2026 urged Centre to consider a 'Romeo & Juliet' clause in POCSO Act for consensual adolescent relationships.

2.A 2022 Enfold study of 7,064 POCSO cases found 24.3% involved 'romantic' relationships, with 80.2% filed by girl's parents opposing the union.

3.Section 19 of POCSO mandates reporting, creating barriers to confidential healthcare for minors, a key ethical dilemma for mains.

The Big Picture
Prelims · HighMains · High

The Supreme Court has urged the government to consider a 'Romeo and Juliet' clause in the POCSO Act, 2012, to address its unintended use in criminalising consensual relationships between adolescents. This highlights a critical conflict between child protection laws and adolescent autonomy, a recurring theme in law and society questions for UPSC and judicial services exams.

Exam Lens

Quick Exam Facts From News

POCSO Age of ChildBelow 18 years
Mandatory Minimum Sentence7 years (can extend to life)
Enfold Study (2022) Sample7,064 POCSO judgments (2016-2020)
Romantic Cases in Study24.3%
Complaints by Girl's Parents80.2%
Age of Consent Pre-201216 years

1-Minute Revision

  • ›POCSO Age of Child: Below 18 years
  • ›Mandatory Minimum Sentence: 7 years (can extend to life)
  • ›Target this Data: 24.3% of POCSO cases (Enfold 2022 study) involved 'romantic' relationships.
  • ›Target this Nodal Body: Child Welfare Committee (CWC) under JJ Act, 2015.
  • ›Target this Legal Point: Section 19 of POCSO Act mandates reporting of offences.

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Practice exam-style questions, track your score, and strengthen your recall.

Q1Static LinkageEasy

Under which Act is the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), mentioned in the article in relation to placing a minor in a Children's Home, constituted?

Q2Statement-basedMedium

Consider the following statements regarding the POCSO Act as discussed in the article:

1. The Act defines a 'child' as any person below the age of 18 years.

2. A 'Romeo and Juliet' clause, if introduced, would exempt all sexual activity involving minors from prosecution.

3. Section 19 of the Act makes it mandatory for doctors to report cases of sexual offences against children.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Q3Data-centricMedium

According to the 2022 Enfold study analysing POCSO judgments cited in the article, what percentage of the cases involved 'romantic' relationships between consenting adolescents?

Q4Application/ImpactMedium

What is a primary criticism, as highlighted in the article, of the mandatory reporting requirement under Section 19 of the POCSO Act?

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