Abortion In India

A recent study on the level of awareness of medical termination of pregnancy has claimed that one of every three women it interviewed did not consider abortion as a health right or were unsure of it. The survey by the NGO Foundation for Reproductive Health Services India (FRHS India) also claimed 32 per cent of respondents were unaware of abortion as a legal right and that 95.5 per cent of Indian women were uninformed of the existence of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Act, 2021. FRHS India, which provides clinical family planning services in the country, recently released the findings of its study on the level of awareness of the MTP Act and practices related to safe abortion. The study was conducted by the FRHS in Delhi, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. "The Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act was modified 1.5 years ago but abortion-seekers are still unaware of the changes brought about in the Act. We found that even service providers (doctors) in ...

A woman's right to reproductive choice is part of her personal liberty under Article 21, the Kerala High Court has said while allowing medical termination of pregnancy for a minor rape survivor. Justice V G Arun, in an order issued on December 12, allowed the petition of a 17-year-old mentally challenged girl, to terminate her pregnancy that reached 26 weeks. "A woman's right to make reproductive choice is recognised as part of her personal liberty under Article 21, subject of course to reasonable restrictions," the court said. The court noted that the medical board, after considering all aspects, has opined that continuation of pregnancy can seriously affect the mental health of the victim and she is likely to develop depression and psychosis. "In view of the Medical Board's opinion and considering the mental status of the victim, I am inclined to allow the prayer for medical termination of the pregnancy," the court said. It also opined that each day's delay will add to the victi

The Supreme Court of India has agreed to examine the validity of the age restriction of 35 years on women's reproductive rights for conducting pre-conception and pre-natal diagnostic tests

The Supreme Court has extended the benefits of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act to minors who engage in consensual sexual activity by exempting doctors from disclosing their identity to the local police. In a landmark verdict, the top court had included unmarried women for abortion between 20-24 weeks of pregnancy under the MTP Act, saying limiting the provision to cover only married women will render it discriminatory and violative of Article 14. It has also held that the meaning of the words "sexual assault" or "rape" under the rules of the MTP Act includes a husband's act of sexual assault or rape committed on his wife. A bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud, A S Bopanna and J B Pardiwala said to ensure that the benefit of Rule 3B(b) is extended to all women aged below 18 who engage in consensual sexual activity, it is necessary to harmoniously read both the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the MTP Act. "For the limited purposes of providing

What is the significance of the SC ruling on abortion law?

The Supreme Court of India recently ruled that all women, irrespective of their marital status, are entitled to legal abortion as permitted under Medical Termination of Pregnancy rules. Here's more

The court also for the first time recognised marital rape under the MTP Act

The Court ruled that the exclusion of unmarried women who conceive out of live-in relationships from the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Rules is unconstitutional

The Supreme Court has issued notice to the Central government on a plea challenging abortion of foetus, due to various reasons, violated right to life of the yet-to-be-born

The Delhi High Court has refused to allow an unmarried woman to undergo medical termination of pregnancy at 23 weeks, observing it is not permitted under the abortion law

Each year, millions of women in India find themselves with an unintended or an unwanted pregnancy for various reasons

Vardhan, while chairing a virtual meeting on the occasion of World Population Day, also said that this was achieved due to substantial investment in the family planning programme

The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020 which seeks to amend the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971 was passed by a voice vote

The first phase of the Budget Session began on January 31 and will go on till February 11.

The Bill will be introduced in the ensuing session of Parliament

A legislative amendment to increase gestation limit for abortion from 20 to 24 weeks has been hanging fire for three years