New Delhi: The Union cabinet on Wednesday approved extending the upper limit for permitting abortions from the present 20 weeks to 24 weeks for “special categories of women” which would include rape survivors, victims of incest, differently-abled and minors, an official statement said.
The cabinet gave its nod to the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020 to amend the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971 and it would be introduced in the budget session of parliament beginning January 31.
While addressing the media after the Cabinet meeting, Union minister Prakash Javadekar said the upper limit for permitting abortions has been extended from the present 20 weeks to 24 weeks.
Also read: India’s Abortion Laws Need to Change and in the Pro-Choice Direction
He also said that this will ensure safe termination of pregnancies and also give women reproductive rights over their bodies.
The extension will help victims of rape, girls with disabilities as well as minors, who may not realise they are pregnant until later, he said.