---
title: "Age of Consent Act — Definition & Meaning | Model Diplomat"
description: "The Age of Consent Act, 1891 raised the minimum age for sexual consent in India from 10 to 12, classifying intercourse below this age as rape."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/age-of-consent-act"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed July 7, 2026

TL;DR

- The Age of Consent Act, 1891 was a legislative measure enacted by the British colonial government in India to raise the minimum age of consent for sexual intercourse from ten to twelve years for all girls, whether mar…
- What case triggered the Age of Consent Act, 1891?
- Why did Bal Gangadhar Tilak oppose the Act?
- What did the Act actually change in law?
- How does the Act relate to the Sarda Act of 1929?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated July 7, 2026

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In 1891, prompted by the death of eleven-year-old Phulmoni Dasi and Behramji Malabari's advocacy, Viceroy Lord Lansdowne's government enacted the Age of Consent Act, drawing Bal Gangadhar Tilak's nationalist opposition.

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