Why are children in India taught to stay away from their opposite gender?

The mentality behind this advice is "prevention being better than cure". All over the world, children get more aware of their sexuality during their teenage years. They get interested in the opposite gender, and want to explore each other's sexualities. In some cases, these young adults get too far and indulge in sexual activities, repercussions of which they do not fully understand yet. For example, in case they have a child, the teenaged parents are still dealing with their own emotional swings and aren't yet fully equipped to care for themselves and their child. To avoid such extreme cases, Indian parents resort to the easiest tactic: stay away from each other. The less you mingle, the less the chances of getting involved in adverse circumstances before you are prepared.