Death penalty for child rapist: Deterrent or knee-jerk reaction?

In the wake of gruesome Kathua rape case, central government passed the ordinance to amend the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act to grant death penalty for the rape of children under the age of 12.

Public outrage over Kathua rape case along with other incidents of rape of children in the country drove the government to show urgency in its action. However, the POCSO Act is not valid in the state of Jammu and Kashmir where the incident of rape of 8-year-old occurred.