The Indian Government has published a new law related to the medical termination of the pregnancy, with effect from October, 2014. The law has evidently increased the abortion limit upto 24 weeks from 16 weeks in case of any unlikely emergency. The law has been proposed, considering the Nikita Mehta’s case.

Nikita Mehta, a Mumbai based middle class, educated woman wanted to terminate her 20 weeks pregnancy. There were chances, which were reported in her ultra scans that she could either face a miscarriage or could give a birth to a child with abnormally developed heart. Nikita, being an independent woman, without any coercion wanted to terminate her pregnancy. However, for her decision she had to hit the high court, she had advanced a maximum abortion limit, as per the Indian Laws.

A new law states that pregnancies can now be terminated upto 24 weeks, provided the pregnant woman may face a risk to her life by giving birth to the baby or the doctors have reported any substantial physical or mental abnormality in the child to be born. Thus, as per the law, it is completely a woman’s decision or her right to terminate the pregnancy once foetal abnormalities have been detected regardless of her gestational age. This may be because, it is the woman who has to undergo a lot of social stigma to care, support and even bears a financial burden. Even at a later stage, the child may have to face a variety of problems related to his/her schooling or in living a normal life; as the fact being there is no social support system fostering people with social needs exist. This proves that the decision to raise a child is certainly not so easy decision and the issue has to tackle by governing the practical issues rather than giving it all emotional angles.

Thus, in contrast, the Indian Government has taken the best of decisions, giving the woman an every right to decide the best possible option for her baby.