Juvenile Justice Bill, 2015 passed in Rajya Sabha

Juvenile Justice Bill, 2015 has been passed in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. There was consensus by most of the parties in the Rajya Sabha on the bill. During the discussion, Women and child development minister Maneka Gandhi said there is a rise in crimes committed by juveniles and having a stronger law is the need of the hour. Congress' Ghulam Nabi Azad said there is no consensus on the age of the juvenile but care needs to be observed that there is no misuse of any kind. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu said clear message should go from the house that the law won’t have retrospective effect. The discussion that lasted around 5 hours, WCD Minister said the government has considered carefully everyone's concerns. Now the child welfare board will decide whether the convicts of heinous crimes between the age bracket of 16-18 will be tried under the laws applicable to adults or the juvenile be sent to a reform home. Under the prevalent law, convicted juveniles can be sent to a reform home for a max of three years.