Centre's New Rules Allow Abortion Till 24 Weeks Of Pregnancy In Case Of Minors, Rape Survivors

The categories, according to the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Rules, 2021, include survivors of sexual assault or rape or incest.

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New Delhi: The Central government has notified new rules under which the gestational limit for termination of a pregnancy has been increased from 20 to 24 weeks for certain categories of women.

The categories, according to the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Rules, 2021, include survivors of sexual assault or rape or incest.

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The categories also include minors, women whose marital status changes during an ongoing pregnancy (widowhood and divorce) and those with physical disabilities.

Coming under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Act, 2021, passed by the Parliament in March, the new rules cover mentally ill women, cases of foetal malformation that has a substantial risk of being incompatible with life or if the child is born it may suffer from such physical or mental abnormalities to be seriously handicapped and women with pregnancy in humanitarian settings or disaster or emergency situations as may be declared by the government, PTI reported.

The abortion earlier required the opinion of one doctor if done within 12 weeks of conception and two doctors if done between 12 and 20 weeks.

A state-level medical board will, as per the new rules, be set up to decide if a pregnancy may be terminated after 24 weeks in cases of foetal malformation.

The medical board will also monitor if the foetal malformation has a substantial risk of it being incompatible with life or if the child is born it may suffer from such physical or mental abnormalities to be seriously handicapped.