State Plans to Send Proposal to Centre to Reduce Juvenile Criminal Age Threshold

The Maharashtra administration is set to forward a detailed proposal to the central government requesting a statutory change that would lower the age of a juvenile offender from 18 to 16 years. The move follows a noticeable increase in serious offences committed by children under 16, prompting the formation of a specialised committee to conduct a scientific analysis of the trend. Minister Yogesh Kadam outlined ongoing preventive and rehabilitative measures, such as cyber‑security awareness programmes in schools, regular police patrols in vulnerable areas, and the establishment of dedicated juvenile police units under the 2015 Act.