The correct answer is 12 years. In 1891, BM Malabari's efforts bore fruit when the age of the Age of Consent was enacted which prohibited the marriage of a girl child the age of 12 years. The law targeted the Hindu practice of child marriage. The Age of Consent Act, 1891 was an amendment of the Indian Penal Code and Code of Criminal Procedure, Section 375, 1882, and was introduced as a bill on 9 January 1891 by Sir Andrew Scoble. The 1860 Indian Penal Code set the age at 10 years which was increased to 12 years with this Act. 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. In 1929, the Child Marriage Restraint Act set 16 and 18 years as the minimum age of marriage for girls and boys respectivelyThe laws prescribe a minimum age of marriage to essentially outlaw child marriages and prevent the abuse of minors.