Question

In context to changes with the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020.

Statement 1: It enhances the upper gestation limit to 20 to 24 weeks for special categories of women like rape victims and victims of incest.
Statement 2: Termination of pregnancy upto 20-24 weeks of gestation will require the opinion of two service providers and termination upto 20 weeks of gestation needs the opinion from one service provider.
Choose the correct option.

• A. Both the statements are true
• B. Statement 1 is true and statement 2 is false
• C. Statement 1 is false and statement 2 is true
• D. Both the statements are false

Answer 1

The correct option is A Both the statements are true

Voluntary termination of pregnancy before full term is called medical termination of pregnancy or induced abortion. Throughout many of the countries in the world, abortions are legal but with varying laws. Many countries in Europe, allow abortions without any restrictions, however in some countries, the procedure of medically terminating pregnancy is banned with no exception. And rest of the countries allow abortions but with restrictions, for saving the mother or protecting her health, etc.

The Government of India, with some restrictions, legalised MTP in India in 1971. Any form of abortion or medical termination of pregnancy was regulated by the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971. This law checked the abortion procedure across India, a pregnancy may be safely terminated upto 12 weeks based on the opinion of one doctor and upto 20 weeks based on the opinion of two doctors.

Medical termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020 was introduced and passed in Lok Sabha in March 2020. The Bill basically increased the time period within which an abortion may be carried out. According to the Bill, advice from one doctor allows abortion upto 20 weeks and from two doctors, up to 24 weeks of pregnancy.