Question

Which of the following statements about the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2017 is correct?

• A. It intends to extend the permissible period for abortion from twenty weeks to twenty four weeks.
• B. It intends to extend the permissible period for abortion from twenty weeks to twenty eight weeks.
• C. It intends to extend the permissible period for abortion from eighteen weeks to twenty two weeks.
• D. It intends to extend the permissible period for abortion from eighteen weeks to twenty four weeks.

Answer 1

The correct option is A It intends to extend the permissible period for abortion from twenty weeks to twenty four weeks.

The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment)bill, 2017 has been drafted which seeks to increase the legal limit for abortion from 20 weeks to 24 weeks. It allows a woman to take an independent decision in consultation with a registered health-care provider. The significance of the Act lies in the fact that foetal abnormalities show up only by 18 weeks, so just a two-week window after that is too small for the would-be parents to take the difficult call on whether to keep their baby.