India has passed legislation lowering the age at which someone can be tried for rape and other crimes to 16.
The law change was spurred into action by an uproar over the release of a minor convicted in a 2012 fatal gang rape of a 23-year-old woman on a Delhi bus.
Parents of the victim led the demand for amendments to the law after their daughter was repeatedly raped and beaten by the 17-year-old, as well as five adult companions.
The woman died of her injuries two weeks later at a Singapore hospital.
Four adults in the case, which drew worldwide condemnation, were sentenced to death, while the fifth hanged himself in prison. The death penalties have not yet been carried out.
Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi said on Tuesday the legislation aimed to strike a balance between the rights of a child and the need to deter heinous juvenile crimes, especially against women.
"Juvenile crime is the fastest rising segment in the country and the bill will help to stop (this)," she said.
"The new law will decide whether a child committed the crime in a childish or adult frame of mind."
The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Bill will become law once President Pranab Mukherjee signs it, likely a formality.
The release last Sunday of the teenager involved in the 2012 gang rape sparked street protests by students and the victim's mother, Asha Devi.
Police had accused the teenager of gory violence, including pulling out a part of the woman's intestines with his hands.
"I understand that a change in law will not affect my daughter's case, but a serious crime, even if it is committed by a minor, should not be overlooked," Devi said before the legislation was adopted.
