Updated On: 19 March, 2013 09:23 AM IST | | Agencies
Bowing to political pressure against lowering the age of consent for sex to 16 years, the government Monday approved the anti-rape bill by agreeing to stick to 18 years, but women activists said the provision could be misused.
The cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, met again Monday evening to take up the bill after a consensus over the issue was arrived at during two rounds of an all-party meeting earlier in the morning.
The all-party meet had at first failed to reach any consensus following major differences over the government's bid to bring the age of consent to 16 years.