India's Cabinet Endorses Tougher Rape Laws

Accepts recommendations from panel report

India's Cabinet accepted most of the recommendations of a commission for toughening laws for crimes against women, including increasing the penalty for rape.

The panel was set up in response to the fatal gang rape in December of a young woman on a moving bus in New Delhi. The Cabinet recommended Friday that the president issue an ordinance to turn the proposals into law, Law Minister Ashwini Kumar said.

The commission recommended an increase in the penalty for rape to 20 years and suggested life terms for gang rape.