Parliament passes bill to raise abortion upper limit to 24 weeks in special cases

Rajya Sabha on Tuesday passed the bill that provides for raising the upper limit for legal termination of pregnancy from 20 to 24 weeks for certain categories of women and expands the access of women to safe and legal abortion services on "therapeutic, eugenic, humanitarian and social grounds".

The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020 was passed in the Upper House by a voice vote after it was moved by Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan for consideration and passing.

The bill seeks to amend the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971. It provides for enhancing the upper gestation limit from 20 to 24 weeks for special categories of women, which will be defined in the amendments to the MTP rules and includes survivors of rape, victims of incest and other vulnerable women like differently-abled women and minors.

The Bill also provides to set up state-level Medical Boards to decide if a pregnancy to be terminated beyond 24 weeks in cases of foetal abnormalities.

The act bars registered medical practitioners from revealing the name and other particulars of a woman whose pregnancy has been terminated as per the new law except to a person authorised by any law during that time.

Anyone who violates the privacy norms defined under the act may be punished with imprisonment of up to 1 year or fine or both under the amended act.

The Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha last year. A demand to send the bill to a select committee of the Upper House was defeated by voice vote.

Besides Congress, members of various parties including Shiv Sena, AITC, CPI, CPI-M and Samajwadi Party had demanded to send the bill to the select committee.

"The amendments in the bill have been made after studying global practices and wide consultation within the country. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we will not frame any law which harms women. This is to preserve and protect the dignity of women," Harsh Vardhan had said.

Presently, abortion requires a mandatory opinion of one doctor if it is done within 12 weeks of conception and two doctors if it is done between 12 and 20 weeks. The new act will allow the abortion to be done on the advice of one doctor up to 20 weeks, and in case of upto 24 weeks, two doctors' opinions will be sought.

(With agency inputs)