Public anger at the release of the juvenile convict in the Delhi gang rape case.
- This has compelled MPs, transcending party lines, to agree to bring for consideration in Rajya Sabha the proposed amendments to the Juvenile Justice Act.
- The amendments, interestingly, have already been through a Standing Committee of Parliament that wanted the cut-off age to be 18.
- Committee had stressed that though the spike in juvenile crime, as reflected in NCRB data had been the reason cited for the amendments.
- The NCRB data was misleading as it was based on FIRs and not actual convictions.
- Therefore, it had suggested that the approach towards juvenile offenders should be reformative and rehabilitative.