Petition to increase the time limit for abortion up to 24 weeks approved!
Posted on: 17/Mar/2021 12:35:42 PM
The Parliament has approved the petition submitted for increasing the time limit for abortion up to 24 weeks.
Carrying out abortion was considered a crime until the year 1971. With penalties and imprisonment imposed on this crime.
The Government of India introduced abortion permission Act under medical grounds in the year 1971. As per this act, abortion was approved to be carried out before 20 weeks since conception. As per this act, carrying out abortion is permitted if carried out on medical grounds, in case of survival of the pregnant person, or in case the child is having serious physical handicap issues or in case the pregnancy was caused by rape. However, only registered Medical Practitioners are authorised to carry out this abortion. In case the conceived foetus is less than 12 weeks old, the medical practioneer can decide to perform the abortion. However, in case the foetus is more than 12 weeks old note that 2 registered medical practitioners have to JOINTLY decide on carrying out the abortion.
In the above scenario, the parliament has recently approved the petition submitted regarding the extending of the upper time limit to carry out an abortion up to a period of 24 weeks. Whereas the earlier Act permitted abortion up to a period of 20 weeks of conception, it has now been increased to 24 weeks.
In the prevailing Act regarding this, a single medical practitioner can decide on the abortion if the foetus is less than 12 weeks, 2 medical practitioners can decide in case the foetus is between 12-20 weeks old. In the modified act, a single medical practitioner can decide on abortion if the foetus is up to 20 weeks old. Further, in case the foetus is 20-24 months old, 2 medical practitioners can jointly decide on carrying out an abortion!
