Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill 2020

Relevance: Sociology: Paper II: Population Dynamics:  Population policy and family planning. Emerging issues: ageing, sex ratios, child and infant mortality, reproductive health. Challenges of Social Transformation: Violence against women.Poverty, deprivation and inequalities. & G.S paper II: Governance: Gender equality, Health

Why in news?

• The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020, to amend the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971. It will be introduced in the ensuing session of Parliament.

It is a step towards safety and well-being of the women and many women will be benefitted by this. Recently, several petitions were received by the courts seeking permission for aborting pregnancies at a gestational age beyond the present permissible limit on grounds of foetal abnormalities or pregnancies due to sexual violence faced by women.

Key facts:

• According to a release, the proposed amendment seeks to enhance the upper gestation limit from 20 to 24 weeks for special categories of women that will be defined in the amendments to the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Rules and will include ‘vulnerable women including survivors of rape, victims of incest and other vulnerable women (like differently-abled women, minors) etc.
• The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020 is for expanding access of women to safe and legal abortion services on therapeutic, eugenic, humanitarian or social grounds.
• Addressing the media after the Cabinet meeting, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said the amemdment to the ACT would ensure a safe termination of pregnancies and also give women reproductive rights over their bodies.

Other amendments proposed in the bill are the requirements for opinion of one doctor for termination of pregnancy up to 20 weeks of gestation, and introducing the requirement of opinion of two doctors for termination of pregnancy of 20-24 weeks of gestation.

Upper gestation limit will not apply in cases of substantial foetal abnormalities diagnosed by Medical Board. The composition functions and other details of Medical Board is to be prescribed subsequently in Rules under the Act. Name and other particulars of a woman whose pregnancy has been terminated shall not be revealed except to a person authorized in any law for the time being in force,” the proposed bill states.

The proposed increase in gestational age will ensure dignity, autonomy, confidentiality and justice for women who need to terminate pregnancy. 

The health ministry proposed the amendments after extensive consultations with various stakeholders and several ministries.

The bill will strengthen reproductive rights of women. They should have a decision of their own if they want to take their pregnancy to full term or not.

Earlier, mortality of pregnant women was about 8% higher due to unsafe abortions. In case of rape, the woman is weak or underage. Such girls didn’t even know they were pregnant and would fall prey of unsafe abortion practices. The bill will help women getting access to safe abortion.