What is the age of majority as per law in India?
Asked by: Dr. Johathan Schaefer I | Last update: October 31, 2025Score: 4.5/5 (53 votes)
(1) Every person domiciled in India shall attain the age of majority on his completing the age of eighteen years and not before.
What is the new legal age in India?
[Updated 2024-25] Current Situation of Legal Age for Marriage in India. While 18 remains the legal age of marriage in India for girls, the government is proposing to raise it to 21, aligning it with boys.
When was age of majority changed from 21 to 18 in India?
The Rajya Sabha debated the bill on 16, 19 and 20 December 1988 and passed it on 20 December 1988, after adopting the amendment made by the Lok Sabha.
What is the age of majority in a contract?
The contract age of majority is currently age 18. Contracts entered into by minors under this age are generally voidable at the minor's option.
What is Section 11 of the Indian majority law?
Every person is competent to contract who is of the age of majority according to the law to which he is subject1 , and who is of sound mind and is not disqualified from contracting by any law to which he is subject.
What is the age of majority in India ?
What is the age limit for major in India?
Age of majority of persons domiciled in India. (1) Every person domiciled in India shall attain the age of majority on his completing the age of eighteen years and not before.
What is the age limit for minority in India?
The Majority Act of 1875 (Indian Majority Act, 1875 earlier) As per section 3(1) of the Indian Majority Act 1875 every person domiciled in India shall attain the age of majority on completion of 18 years and not before.
What is the age of majority vs age of consent?
The age of consent is the age at which a person is considered to be legally competent to consent to marriage or sexual acts. One purpose of setting an age of consent is to protect an underage person from sexual advances. The age of majority is the threshold of adulthood as recognized or declared in law.
In what countries are you an adult at 16?
- Cambodia.
- Cuba.
- Myanmar.
- United Kingdom. Scotland.
- Vietnam.
At what age can a person be held responsible legally for a contract?
Most jurisdictions require parties of a certain age (typically 18 years or older) to enter into contracts. This legal age ensures that individuals possess the maturity and understanding necessary to comprehend their responsibilities. Parties must also be mentally competent when entering into a contract.
What is the age of majority for marriage in India?
The minimum age of marriage at 21 years is higher than the minimum age of majority (18 years).
What is the latest age of majority?
In most countries, the age of majority is 18. In the US, most states have set the age of majority at 18. However, there are a few exceptions, including: In Alabama the age of majority is 19.
Which age group is majority in India?
This statistic depicts the age distribution of India from 2013 to 2023. In 2023, about 25.06 percent of the Indian population fell into the 0-14 year category, 68.02 percent into the 15-64 age group and 6.92 percent were over 65 years of age.
What is the age limit for law in India?
There is no upper age limit for pursuing LLB, but the prerequisite for applying to a three-year undergraduate program in law is a graduation degree from a recognised Indian university or its international equivalent.
What is the new marriage rule in India?
The new law bans polygamy and sets a uniform age for marriage for men and women — 21 and 18, respectively — across all religions and also includes a uniform process for divorce.
Can a girl marry at the age of 21 in India?
Present Age for Marriage
The Special Marriage Act, 1954 and the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 prescribe 18 and 21 years as the minimum age of consent for marriage for women and men respectively. It needs to be noted that the minimum age of marriage is distinct from the age of majority which is gender-neutral.
What is the lowest age of consent in the world?
The lowest age of consent is in Nigeria (11), followed by the Philippines and Angola (12). The age of consent is 13 in three countries – Niger, Comoros, and Burkina Faso. The countries where the age of consent is 14 include a number of South American countries: Brazil, Columbia, Peru, Paraguay, Ecuador, and Bolivia.
What is the age of majority in Pakistan?
Subject as aforesaid, every person domiciled in Pakistan shall be deemed to have attained his majority when he shall have completed his age of eighteen years and not before".
Is 16 still a minor in USA?
In the United States as of 1971, minor is generally legally defined as a person under the age of 18. However, in the context of alcohol or gambling laws (see legal drinking age and gambling age), people under the age of 21 may also sometimes be referred to as minors.
What is the age of majority in Japan?
The age of majority in Japan was lowered from 20 to 18 on 1 April 2022, when the newly revised Civil Code came into effect.
What is the age of consent in India?
The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), 2012 and the Indian Penal Code, 1860 both peg the age of consent at 18 years. This means that all persons under the age of 18 years are uniformly defined as children and the consent of any child, so defined, is deemed irrelevant in law.
What is the age of majority in Singapore?
The age of majority applicable in Singapore is 21 years old as provided by common law.
What is the legal age in India?
Different Legal Age Requirements
In India, basic age of majority under Indian Majority Act, 1875 is 18 years. According to this act individuals are said to be capable of making decisions independently with understanding the nature and consequences of their acts.
Who is minority caste in India?
Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Jain and Zorastrians (Parsis) have been notified as minority communities under Section 2 (c) of the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992. As per the Census 2011, the percentage of minorities in the country is about 19.3% of the total population of the country.
What is the legal age to get married in India?
One party either Groom or Bride must be a citizen of India. The groom should be of 21 years of age and the bride of 18 years.