Question

Which of the following is/are not a provision of Medical Termination of Pregnancy Bill, 2020?

1. The Bill seeks to amend Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, 1971.

2. It introduces the requirement of the opinion of two registered medical practitioners for termination of pregnancy of 20-24 weeks of gestation.

3. It enhanced the gestation limit for ‘special categories’ of women which includes survivors of rape, victims of incest and other vulnerable women like differently-abled women and minors.

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. 2 and 3 only
4. None of the above

Answer 1

Correct Answer - Option 4 : None of the above

The correct answer is None of the above.

• The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) (Amendment) Bill, 2020 seeks to extend the termination of the pregnancy period from 20 weeks to 24 weeks.
• It will be easy for women to safely and legally terminate an unwanted pregnancy.
• The Bill seeks to amend the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, 1971. Hence statement 1 is correct.
• The Bill proposes the requirement of the opinion of one registered medical practitioner (instead of two or more) for termination of pregnancy up to 20 weeks of gestation.
• It introduces the requirement of the opinion of two registered medical practitioners for termination of pregnancy of 20-24 weeks of gestation. Hence statement 2 is correct.
• It has also enhanced the gestation limit for ‘special categories’ of women which includes survivors of rape, victims of incest, and other vulnerable women like differently-abled women and minors. Hence statement 3 is correct.
• It also states that the “name and other particulars of a woman whose pregnancy has been terminated shall not be revealed”, except to a person authorized in any law that is currently in force.

• MTP Act, 1971 failed to keep pace with advances in medical technology that allow for the removal of a fetus at a relatively advanced state of pregnancy.
• The original law states that, if a minor wants to terminate her pregnancy, written consent from the guardian is required. The proposed law has excluded this provision.
• The extension of the limit would ease the process for these women, allowing the mainstream system itself to take care of them, delivering quality medical attention.