NEW DELHI: The Centre on Wednesday approved the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Bill, 2014, which is likely to be introduced in Parliament in the Budget session it self.
The meeting of the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the amendments to the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000, to make it more stringent.
According to the new Bill, those under the age of 18 and accused of crimes like rape could be considered as adults. In fact, such juveniles may face a jail term, but will not be awarded life sentence or the death penalty.
The changes in the law are proposed against the backdrop of outrage over the conviction of a minor in the 2002 Delhi gangrape case.
He was tried in a juvenile court in 2013 and sentenced to three years in a reform home. Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi informed the Lok Sabha last week that the move to amend the Act was intended to deter child offenders from committing such crimes and protect the rights of the victim.
Under the existing law, if a juvenile below the age of 18 is found guilty, he is tried by the Juvenile Justice Board and if convicted, he will be sent to a juvenile home for a period of three years for correction. The government has fast-tracked clearance of the Bill, which was sent for inter-ministerial consultations, only last week. The Women and Child Development Ministry is keen to pass the Bill in the ongoing Parliament session, which ends on August 14. The amended law makes it mandatory for all childcare institutions to register or pay a stringent penalty in case of non-compliance.