Abortion In India

US top court likely to preserve access to abortion medication mifepristone

The Supreme Court on Tuesday seemed likely to preserve access to a medication that was used in nearly two-thirds of all abortions in the US last year, in the court's first abortion case since conservative justices overturned Roe v. Wade two years ago. In nearly 90 minutes of arguments, a consensus appeared to emerge that the abortion opponents who challenged the FDA's approval of the medication, mifepristone, and subsequent actions to ease access to it, lack the legal right or standing to sue. Such a decision would leave in place the current rules that allow patients to receive the drug through the mail, without any need for an in-person visit with a doctor, and to take the medication to induce an abortion through 10 weeks of pregnancy. Should the court take the no-standing route, it would avoid the more politically sensitive aspects of the case. The high court's return to the abortion thicket is taking place in a political and regulatory landscape that was reshaped by its abortion

Republicans push back on Biden plan to axe funds for anti-abortion centers

In a new twist to the fight over abortion access, congressional Republicans are trying to block a Biden administration spending rule that they say will cut off millions of dollars to anti-abortion counseling centers. The rule would prohibit states from sending federal funds earmarked for needy Americans to so-called crisis pregnancy centers, which counsel against abortions. At stake are millions of dollars in federal funds that currently flow to the organizations through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, a block grant program created in 1996 to give cash assistance to poor children and prevent out-of-wedlock pregnancies. Programs that only or primarily provide pregnancy counseling to women only after they become pregnant likely do not meet the ... standard, the Health and Human Services agency said in its rule proposal released late last year. More than 7,000 comments have been submitted on the proposed rule, which includes a series of restrictions on how .

Delhi's LG approves proposal to notify MTP Act; blames AAP govt for delay

The move, aimed at ensuring universal access for women to comprehensive abortion care, comes more than two years after the amendments were made by Parliament

Abortion based on sex-determination fuels gender inequalities: Delhi HC

Abortion based on sex-determination is a powerful method of perpetuating gender inequalities, the Delhi High Court has said, emphasising the law must have teeth to sternly deal with such situations till attitudinal changes at family level are achieved. The restriction of access to foetal sex information is directly related to the problem of misogyny which affects women of all socioeconomic backgrounds not only in this country but globally as well, the court said. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma made the observations while passing a slew of directions to the authorities for a strict implementation of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act, 1994 (PCPNDT Act). The high court's order came while refusing to quash an FIR against a doctor who was booked under several sections of the PCPNDT Act after a raid was conducted at a hospital here on information regarding illegal sex determination. It, however, set aside as bad in law the cognisance taken by the trial court in the

Supreme Court asked to preserve abortion pill access rules

A drug manufacturer asked the Supreme Court on Friday to preserve access to its abortion drug free from restrictions imposed by lower court rulings, while a legal fight continues. Danco Laboratories filed its emergency request with the high court less than two days after an appeals court ruling in a case from Texas that had the effect of tightening the rules under which the drug, mifepristone, can be prescribed and dispensed. The new limits would take effect Saturday unless the court acts before then. The fight over mifepristone lands at the Supreme Court less than a year after conservative justices reversed Roe v. Wade and allowed more than a dozen states to effectively ban abortion outright. An appeal from the Biden administration also is expected.

99% of women in India unaware of changes in abortion laws: Study

A recent study on the level of awareness of medical termination of pregnancy has claimed that one of every three women it interviewed did not consider abortion as a health right or were unsure of it. The survey by the NGO Foundation for Reproductive Health Services India (FRHS India) also claimed 32 per cent of respondents were unaware of abortion as a legal right and that 95.5 per cent of Indian women were uninformed of the existence of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Act, 2021. FRHS India, which provides clinical family planning services in the country, recently released the findings of its study on the level of awareness of the MTP Act and practices related to safe abortion. The study was conducted by the FRHS in Delhi, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. "The Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act was modified 1.5 years ago but abortion-seekers are still unaware of the changes brought about in the Act. We found that even service providers (doctors) in ...

Woman's right to reproductive choice is her personal liberty: Kerala HC

A woman's right to reproductive choice is part of her personal liberty under Article 21, the Kerala High Court has said while allowing medical termination of pregnancy for a minor rape survivor. Justice V G Arun, in an order issued on December 12, allowed the petition of a 17-year-old mentally challenged girl, to terminate her pregnancy that reached 26 weeks. "A woman's right to make reproductive choice is recognised as part of her personal liberty under Article 21, subject of course to reasonable restrictions," the court said. The court noted that the medical board, after considering all aspects, has opined that continuation of pregnancy can seriously affect the mental health of the victim and she is likely to develop depression and psychosis. "In view of the Medical Board's opinion and considering the mental status of the victim, I am inclined to allow the prayer for medical termination of the pregnancy," the court said. It also opined that each day's delay will add to the victi

SC to examine validity of age restriction for tests before abortion

The Supreme Court of India has agreed to examine the validity of the age restriction of 35 years on women's reproductive rights for conducting pre-conception and pre-natal diagnostic tests

Doctors need not disclose the identities of minors seeking abortion: SC

The Supreme Court has extended the benefits of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act to minors who engage in consensual sexual activity by exempting doctors from disclosing their identity to the local police. In a landmark verdict, the top court had included unmarried women for abortion between 20-24 weeks of pregnancy under the MTP Act, saying limiting the provision to cover only married women will render it discriminatory and violative of Article 14. It has also held that the meaning of the words "sexual assault" or "rape" under the rules of the MTP Act includes a husband's act of sexual assault or rape committed on his wife. A bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud, A S Bopanna and J B Pardiwala said to ensure that the benefit of Rule 3B(b) is extended to all women aged below 18 who engage in consensual sexual activity, it is necessary to harmoniously read both the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the MTP Act. "For the limited purposes of providing

What is the significance of the SC ruling on abortion law?

The Supreme Court of India recently ruled that all women, irrespective of their marital status, are entitled to legal abortion as permitted under Medical Termination of Pregnancy rules. Here's more

Now, all women are entitled to safe and legal abortion: Supreme Court

The court also for the first time recognised marital rape under the MTP Act

All women are entitled to safe and legal abortion, says Supreme Court

The Court ruled that the exclusion of unmarried women who conceive out of live-in relationships from the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Rules is unconstitutional

International Safe Abortion Day: Abortion guidelines in India

SC issues notice on plea contending 'abortion violates right to life'

The Supreme Court has issued notice to the Central government on a plea challenging abortion of foetus, due to various reasons, violated right to life of the yet-to-be-born

Delhi HC denies permission to spinster to terminate pregnancy at 23 weeks

The Delhi High Court has refused to allow an unmarried woman to undergo medical termination of pregnancy at 23 weeks, observing it is not permitted under the abortion law

Why 243 Indian women had to ask a court for permission to abort

Each year, millions of women in India find themselves with an unintended or an unwanted pregnancy for various reasons

Nearly 1.8 million unsafe abortions averted in 2019, says Harsh Vardhan

Vardhan, while chairing a virtual meeting on the occasion of World Population Day, also said that this was achieved due to substantial investment in the family planning programme

Bill seeeking extension in upper limit for permitting abortions gets LS nod

The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020 which seeks to amend the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971 was passed by a voice vote

Parliament: Why EC won't support poll funding, banks' bad loan burden

The first phase of the Budget Session began on January 31 and will go on till February 11.

Cabinet approves raising upper limit for permitting abortions to 24 weeks

The Bill will be introduced in the ensuing session of Parliament