New Delhi: The draft Juvenile Justice Bill takes a far more compassionate line than has been taken by several advanced countries, according to the Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi.The bill seeks to lower the culpable age of a juvenile, to be tried as an adult for heinous crimes, from 18 years to 16 years. This has been criticised by activists and the opposition parties.

"They (advanced nations) have zero tolerance for violence. In most (Western) countries the age limit has gone down to 12 years, while in some states of America its 9 years. In England it is 14 years," Gandhi told IANS in an interview at her office in Shastri Bhavan. The Bill, passed in the Lok Sabha in May 2014, has come under scathingOtherwise, he will have to serve full term (in an adult prison)," she said.

Gandhi also said that she had made an "ambitious proposal" to overhaul the National Commission for Women (NCW). “The proposal to give teeth to the NCW is an ambitious legislation. If it goes through, the commission will have as much power as the National Human Rights Commission,” she said.However, the women’s reservation bill is yet to figure in her agenda. Describing it as a political issue, Gandhi felt that reformative action should start from the panchayati raj system to empower women and bring them into the political arena.

The Bill, which seeks to reserve one-third of all seats for women in the Lok Sabha, the Rajya Sabha and the state legislative assemblies, has been hanging fire