Business Standard

Passive euthanasia: In India, debate on 'living will' has seen many turns

On Jan 17, SC decided to 'tweak' its 2018 verdict to make passive euthanasia more workable

euthanasia
Premium

Passive euthanasia is the withdrawal of nutrition and water and withholding of life-saving treatment, thus facilitating the person’s end, and relieving them from suffering

Debarghya Sanyal New Delhi
The topic of euthanasia is perhaps best remembered in Indian popular culture through the lens of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Guzaarish (2010). Starring Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, the film presents an emotional case for an individual’s right to choose death. The film also brought to attention the phrase “Living Will”.

According to the concept of ‘living will’, a patient can give consent that allows withdrawal of life support systems if the individual is reduced to a permanent vegetative state with no real chance of survival. Much of the Bhansali film is rooted in the protagonist Ethan Mascarenhas’s fight

What you get on BS Premium?

  • Unlock 30+ premium stories daily hand-picked by our editors, across devices on browser and app.
  • Pick your 5 favourite companies, get a daily email with all news updates on them.
  • Full access to our intuitive epaper - clip, save, share articles from any device; newspaper archives from 2006.
  • Preferential invites to Business Standard events.
  • Curated newsletters on markets, personal finance, policy & politics, start-ups, technology, and more.
VIEW ALL FAQs

Need More Information - write to us at assist@bsmail.in