Abortion in India: Legalities and Realities

Authored by : Kausumi Saha

In light of the recent Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill passed in the Lok Sabha on 17th March 2020, this paper attempts to shed light on the current scenario of abortion-seeking in India. Despite being an essential healthcare need for millions of women and their families, safe and legal abortions continue to be inaccessible almost 50 years after its legalisation. The paper begins by tracing the historical trajectory of abortion-related legislation in the country, and the dominant ideological discourses that set them in motion. The following sections delve into the various problems that hinder abortion-seeking in india, and attempts to assess the ability of the 2020 Bill, if it becomes an Act, to address these issues.

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