56% Abortions Unsafe Despite Being Legal; Proposed Amendments On Hold

Niketa Mehta was in the 24th week of her pregnancy when a test revealed substantial abnormalities in the fetus’ heart that posed a risk to its survival. Mehta decided to abort, but found herself restrained by the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, Mehta’s obstetrician sought judicial authorisation but the court refused.

This was in 2008. Nine years since, in July this year, the Supreme Court allowed a woman to abort an over-20 week foetus that had serious cardiac impairments. The courts have clearly come a long way, reflecting a broader change in society, but a legislative amendment to increase the gestation limit for abortion from 20 to 24 weeks has been hanging fire for three years.