Context:
Supreme Court declined a married woman’s plea to medically terminate her 26-week pregnancy.
Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act – Key Details
Evolution of MTP Act:
- Abortion was legalized in India in 1971 that required approval from one registered doctor for a medical abortion up to 12 weeks of pregnancy and two doctors for an abortion up to 20 weeks.
- In 2003, an amendment allowed the use of misoprostol (a newly discovered abortion medication) for medical termination of pregnancy up to 7 weeks.
- The original MTP Act underwent a more extensive update in 2020 and revised law became effective in September 2021.
Key Provisions of the MTP Amendment Act, 2021:
- Termination due to Contraceptive Failure –
- Pregnancy can be ended up to 20 weeks if contraceptives fail, open to both married and unmarried women.
- Opinion for Pregnancy Termination –
- 1 Registered Medical Practitioner’s opinion – for up to 20 weeks.
- 2 Registered Medical Practitioners’ opinions – for 20-24 weeks.
- A State-level medical board’s opinion is needed after 24 weeks for substantial fetal abnormalities.
- Extended Time Limit for Special Cases – 24 weeks for specific groups (such as rape survivors, incest victims, and vulnerable individuals like differently-abled women and minors)
- Confidentiality – Identity of a woman who terminates her pregnancy must remain confidential, unless required by applicable laws.
Gestation is the foetal development period from the time of conception until birth.
Source: The Hindu
Previous Year Question
Consider the following statements:
Statement-I: In India, prisons are managed by State Governments with their own rules and regulations for the day-to-day administration of prisons.
Statement-II: In India, prisons are governed by the Prisons Act, 1894 which expressly kept the subject of prisons in the control of Provincial Governments.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2023 Prelims]
(a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I
(b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I
(c) Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect
(d) Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct
Answer: (a)
