Police in India are set to formally charge six suspects in last month's gang rape of a 23-year-old woman who later died from her injuries.

The suspects are facing charges of kidnapping, rape and murder, and authorities say they will push for the death penalty if the men are convicted. One of the suspects has undergone testing to determine his age because juveniles in India cannot be charged with murder.

The government is expected to appoint attorneys to defend the men after bar association lawyers said they would not take part in the defense.

The unidentified woman died Saturday from severe internal injuries that her assailants caused with a metal rod during the attack on a bus December 16.

The student's death has set off a debate in India about protecting women. Protesters have called for tougher rape laws, major police reforms and a transformation in the way the country treats women.

Issues such as rape, dowry-related deaths and female infanticide rarely enter mainstream political discourse in India.