Govt Tweaks Law Permitting Abortions To 24 Weeks, Move Will Help Single Women & Rape Survivors

The Union Cabinet approved extending the upper limit for permitting abortions from the present 20 weeks to 24 weeks.

The Cabinet approved the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020 to amend the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971.

The Bill will be introduced in the parliament in the upcoming Budget session.

Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said the upper limit for permitting abortions has been extended from the present 20 weeks to 24 weeks. He added that this will ensure safe termination of pregnancies and also give women reproductive rights over their bodies.

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The extension to 24 weeks will also help victims of rape, girls with disabilities as well as minors, who may not realise they are pregnant until later, he said.

In a progressive reform and giving reproductive rights to women, the limit of 20 weeks of medical termination of pregnancy has been increased to 24 weeks.

This is important because in the first 5 months there are cases where the girl concerned doesn't realise and has to go to court. This was discussed with various stakeholders.

"This will reduce maternal mortality," he said.

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The government recognised ¡°failure of contraceptive¡± as a lawful reason for abortion, including for unmarried women. This will make it easier for single women to safely and legally terminate an unwanted pregnancy.

Currently, the law recognises ¡°failure of contraceptive¡± and ¡°unplanned pregnancy¡± as legal reasons for abortion only in the case of ¡°married¡± women. The law says while for minors, written consent from parents is required, unmarried women cannot cite contraceptive failure as a reason for abortion.