New Delhi: The Supreme Court has given yet another historic verdict on women's rights. The court on Thursday issued an interim order allowing an unmarried woman to abort her 24 weeks pregnancy. At the same time, the court ordered the formation of the medical board of AIIMS. These boards will investigate and find out if there is any risk to the young woman from abortion. If no risk is found, the young woman will be aborted.
The apex court also changed the Delhi High Court's decision in which the court had not allowed an unmarried woman to undergo an abortion. The woman had challenged the high court's decision in the apex court. The woman is unmarried, she was living in a live-in and she had sexual relations of her own free will, which made her pregnant. The Supreme Court has extended the scope of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act (MTP) to unmarried women. Justice D Y Chandrachud, while delivering the judgement, made a significant observation that the interpretation of the MTP Act cannot be limited to married women alone. At the same time, it cannot be restricted to the termination of pregnancy up to 20 weeks. To do so would be biased against unmarried women.
The Supreme Court further said that while making the law, it would not have been the intention of the legislature to confine the abortion law to married women only. Now, after the Supreme Court's verdict, the medical board will give its report on whether the woman can be safely aborted or not.
PM Modi, Amit Shah greet Murmu on historic victory
Covid-19 Updates: India logs 21,880 new cases, 60 deaths
PM calls for people to hoist tricolour at home between Aug 13-15