So 18 is the right age for voting. 18 is the legal age of consent. 18 is the age when a child becomes adult. However, a trial court has urged the Centre to amend the Hindu Maintenance Act and increase the age of getting maintenance from 18 to 21.
The court stated this while hearing the plea of a boy whose father stopped giving him maintenance when he turned 18. The boy’s counsel said that the boy had no income and now he may not have any option but to leave his studies midstream. The court expressed its limitations as the law did not provide such a provision.
Lawyer Arjun Natrajan throws light on the issue and informs, “The payment of maintenance under the Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act as well as The Code of Criminal Procedure extends only to minors. The Code of Criminal Procedure provides for maintenance to major children who cannot maintain themselves due to physical or mental abnormality/injury. The judge’s suggestion is pertinent and progressive and it is keeping in view the motivation behind maintenance laws i.e. prevention of vagrancy. Social engineering happens in courts. Therefore, on sensitive issues like this one, judges should express their opinion; the legislature may or may not act upon it.”
By 21 years of age, one usually graduates and is in a far better position to earn one’s livelihood than one would on completion of school. “If such an amendment comes by, then it would indeed give an impetus to the well-being of ‘able-bodied’ minors upon attaining majority,” adds Arjun.
However, IIT Delhi graduate Rahul Khandelwal, who is on his own for past four years, feels that the child should be grateful to his parents for whatever they have done for him till the age of 18. “I don’t know the exact details of this particular case but I believe rather than asking money for further sustenance, he should use this as an opportunity to learn how to become independent and become a good time and money manager. It’s not popular in India, but students abroad self-finance their education.”
Arun Sampath, a retired engineer and a parent of two adults, says that he gave his children good education and sent them to reputed colleges. But sooner or later children need to be on their own. “If the age of 18 is not enough for anyone to earn their sustenance then one should not be considered an adult. In that case 21 should be declared the new age of becoming an adult. Of course parents should support their children till they become capable of looking after themselves, but if the need arises, children ought to be strong enough to face the challenge.”
Ankush Thakur, content editor with a popular mapping website, agrees with Sampath and says, “I believe children past 18 are grown up enough to take care of themselves. It’s just that our traditional and over-protective nature makes them timid and financially insecure. It’s a tall order, but I’m in favour of a more liberal society where students can learn to invest odd hours in doing work and getting paid for it, traits that will help them in the battle of life. Solving everything by reservations and enacting laws might prove to be too trying an exercise.”