Children and Autonomy: Need for Emancipation Laws in India

The current situation in India with the pandemic taking a toll on lives of people, it has brought into light various harsh realities where many have lost their lives and certainly left behind a lot to think and ponder upon. Surely the country has witnessed a lot of cultural, social, ethnical and political diversity however, despite socio-cultural changes, laws relating to emancipation seem unlikely in near future. Though changes and enactment of new laws are highly desirable to ensure smooth transitional process and popular acceptance among its people, since most of the Indian laws are primarily based upon the old customary practices, culture, and traditions, reluctance in the Indian society regarding the enactment of laws relating to Emancipation of Minors is expected. This is due to the long drawn and deep-rooted patriarchy, orthodoxy and family sentiments which the Indian society still cherish. This article is an attempt to analyse, comprehend, articulate and arrive at possible conclusions regarding the changes that are taking place and subsequent need for enactment of laws relating to emancipation of minors in India.