MEDICAL TERMINATION OF PREGNANCY: AN ANALYSIS OF THE MEDICAL TERMINATION OF PREGNANCY (AMENDMENT BILL, 2021)”

AUTHOR – AKSHITA SHARMA, STUDENT AT SYMBIOSIS LAW SCHOOL, PUNE

BEST CITATION – AKSHITA SHARMA, MEDICAL TERMINATION OF PREGNANCY: AN ANALYSIS OF THE MEDICAL TERMINATION OF PREGNANCY (AMENDMENT BILL, 2021), INDIAN JOURNAL OF LEGAL REVIEW (IJLR), 4 (2) OF 2024, PG. 655-659, APIS – 3920 – 0001 & ISSN – 2583-2344.

ABSTRACT

“Abortion is health care. Abortion is freedom. Abortion is bodily autonomy. A country without this human right is not a free country.”, H.R. Bellicosa a feminist author highlights the theme of this critical essay. The essay initiates with the historical background of the “Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act 1971 to the present Medical Termination of pregnancy (Amendment Bill, 2021)”, citing a great deal of enhancement though leaving space for amelioration. The essay further highlights the concepts of medical termination and salient features of the new amendment, comparative analysis with countries like Netherlands and the United States of America followed by a judicial analysis of medical termination in India. The essay presents a critical analysis of the new amendment bill, pointing the loopholes in the act such as lack of specialized doctors in rural areas, persistent control of state over women’s autonomy followed by rational recommendations that could be incorporated to make the act more comprehensive and efficient. The essay also includes various statistical data and graphs proving the lack of implementation and the ground realities of the abortion rights in India. Thus, the shackles of ethical morality and the patriarchal society needs to be reformed with a reform in the act which is further discussed in the essay.