Draft MTP Bill proposes raising abortion limit to 24 weeks
The Union Cabinet is planning to consider making some changes to the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, 1971 to increase the upper limit for termination of a pregnancy from 20 to 24 weeks. The move aims at easing abortion laws in the country. Over the past few years, there have been strong demands to raise the foetal gestation period of abortion beyond 20 weeks.
The move also plans in extending the contraceptive-failure clause for termination to include “any woman or her partner” from the present provision for “only married woman or her husband”. According to the sources, the draft MTP Bill has been circulated by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Cabinet has to decide on its approval.
The present abortion law has been drafted five decades ago, permitting abortion up to a maximum foetal gestation period of 20 weeks.
“A pregnancy may be terminated by a registered medical practitioner, (a) where the length of the pregnancy does not exceed twelve weeks, if such medical practitioner is, or (b) where the length of the pregnancy exceeds twelve weeks but does not exceed twenty weeks, if not less than two registered medical practitioners are, of opinion. the continuance of the pregnancy would involve a risk to the life of the pregnant woman or of grave injury to her physical or mental health; or there is a substantial risk that if the child were born, it would suffer from such physical or mental abnormalities to be seriously handicapped,” states section 3 (2) of the MTP Act, 1971.
According to the draft bill, there is a requirement of the opinion of one registered medical practitioner (RMP) for termination of pregnancy up to 20 weeks of gestation. It also provides for the requirement of the opinion of two RMPs for termination of pregnancy of 20 to 24 weeks.
Not only that but also the bill seeks to increase the upper gestation limit from 20 to 24 weeks for survivors of rape, victims of incest and other vulnerable women. It will also include minor girls.
According to the sources, the changes in the law were proposed after an extensive consultation process with experts representing a range of stakeholders from central and state governments, NGOs, academic institutions, professional bodies and associations like Indian Medical Association, Indian Nursing Council and legal professionals.
Source: Indian Express.