Bill to raise Gestation Period for abortion passed in Rajya Sabha with voice vote
Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan tabled The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill 2020 in the upper house on Wednesday seeking the increase in raising the gestation period.
Rajya Sabha passed the bill by a voice note. The bill was moved in the house with an aim to provide safe and legal abortion services to women on therapeutic, eugenic, humanitarian grounds.
The bill permits abortion up to 24 weeks for women who belong to special categories like Minors, survivors of rape, victims of incest, and differently-abled women and minors. The gestation period has been increased to 24 weeks from the existing 20 weeks.
The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill 2020 also allows abortion with the advice of one doctor till 20 weeks and abortion can be done with the advice of two doctors between 20-24 weeks for women from certain categories.
When the bill was tabled in the Upper House, a few members raised their demand of sending the Amendment Bill to the Rajya Sabha Select Committee. However, the bill getting passed with a voice vote defeated the demand.
The bill was passed in the lower house last year. While tabling the bill, Minister Harsh Vardhan said, the bill was drafted after consulting several bodies like NGOs, IMA, gynecologist association, and a group of Ministers.
The Amendment bill comes with a provision to set up medical boards at the state level. These boards will decide if abortions can be done after 24 weeks if substantial foetal abnormalities take place.
Rajya Sabha passed the bill by a voice note. The bill was moved in the house with an aim to provide safe and legal abortion services to women on therapeutic, eugenic, humanitarian grounds.
The bill permits abortion up to 24 weeks for women who belong to special categories like Minors, survivors of rape, victims of incest, and differently-abled women and minors. The gestation period has been increased to 24 weeks from the existing 20 weeks.
The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill 2020 also allows abortion with the advice of one doctor till 20 weeks and abortion can be done with the advice of two doctors between 20-24 weeks for women from certain categories.
When the bill was tabled in the Upper House, a few members raised their demand of sending the Amendment Bill to the Rajya Sabha Select Committee. However, the bill getting passed with a voice vote defeated the demand.
The bill was passed in the lower house last year. While tabling the bill, Minister Harsh Vardhan said, the bill was drafted after consulting several bodies like NGOs, IMA, gynecologist association, and a group of Ministers.
The Amendment bill comes with a provision to set up medical boards at the state level. These boards will decide if abortions can be done after 24 weeks if substantial foetal abnormalities take place.