The detention of around 320 students — 70 to 80 of them minors — and the registration of 12 FIRs against nearly 950 since demonstrations were held in Mumbai in support of students protesting in New Delhi  may have consequences extending far beyond the legal process, say mental health experts.

Dr Seetharaman Iyer, consulting psychiatrist, Sion hospital, said the human brain continues to mature until around the age of 23 to 25, with the prefrontal cortex — the region responsible for judgment, emotional regulation, and decision-making — being among the last areas to develop fully.