The Union Cabinet on January 29 voted in favour of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020 to amend the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971. The Union Cabinet approved the extension of the upper limit for abortions to 24 weeks from 20 weeks earlier.

Union Minister Prakash Javadekar announced at a press briefing that the fetus abortion permit has been extended to 24 weeks to ensure safe termination of pregnancies and will give women more control over their own body and reproductive rights.

“This is important because, in the first five months, there are cases where the woman fails to realise and has to go to court,” Javadekar said.

The benefit of extended the upper limit will be for special categories of women, which will be defined in the amendments to the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Rules and would include ‘vulnerable women including survivors of rape, victims of incest and other vulnerable women (like differently-abled women, minors) etc, according to PIB.

The earlier permissible the upper limit of 20 weeks was fixed decades ago, as per Section 3(2) (b) of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971.

The Bill will now be introduced in the ensuing Parliament for clearance from both Houses.