The Cabinet approved the amendment to the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971, increasing the upper limit for the abortion to 24 weeks.
New Delhi| The Cabinet approved the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020 to amend the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971. Soon, Indian women will be able to legally opt for abortion until the sixth month of pregnancy, instead of the previous limit of five months.
While addressing the media after the Cabinet meeting, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said the upper limit for permitting abortions has been extended from the present 20 weeks to 24 weeks.
The condition for the termination will be that the woman has to seek permission from two doctors, including a government doctor, for the procedure.
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“The law, which was necessary for women’s reproductive rights, will now allow them to abort any time during pregnancy till the 24-week gestation period. Currently, the law allows medical abortion only till 20 weeks of pregnancy,” Prakash Javadekar said.
“The law will help the rape victims, ill and under-age women to terminate the unwanted pregnancy lawfully. Also, in case of deformity of the foetus, a medical board will provide a safe pathway for abortion,” the minister added.
Name and other particulars of a woman whose pregnancy has been terminated will not be revealed except to a person authorised in any law for the time being in force.
The SC has frequently intervened and passed orders allowing abortions when the pregnancy was more than 24 weeks.
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