The Supreme Court has urged the Union government to consider exempting genuine adolescent relationships from the stringent POCSO Act, citing its misuse in consensual cases involving minors. This has reignited debate on India's age of consent, currently set at 18 years under POCSO and aligned with the IPC and BNS. The law presumes minors lack capacity to consent, treating sexual acts with them as statutory rape, with mandatory reporting requirements for suspected offenses.