India, July 24 -- The Union government on Wednesday opposed any move to lower the age of consent under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act or introduce exceptions for adolescent relationships, telling the Supreme Court that such dilution, "even in the name of reform or adolescent autonomy," would dismantle the statutory shield meant to safeguard minors and risk opening the door to child abuse.

In its written submissions filed before a bench of justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, the government underscored that the current threshold of 18 must remain "strictly and uniformly enforced" to maintain the integrity of child protection laws and uphold the best interests of minors.

"The statutory age of consent fixed ...