Medical termination of pregnancy (Amendment) act, 2002 An answer to mother's health & ‘Female foeticide’

Human groups have, since early times, developed attitudes against the willful destruction of a foetus. At the same time, they have also recognized its permissibility in exceptional circumstances. Abortion raises a variety of medical, legal, ethical, and social issues. Indian Law recognizes the foetus as a special aggregation of cells with a potential for independent life and in this way protects the rights of ‘unborn child’.

This paper deals with issues related to abortion laws, reasons for their enactments, amendments and failure to implement, misuse by quacks, with special reference to The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Act, 2002, and Rules & Regulations, 2003. Thus, an attempt to answer for related questions either not discussed earlier or not answered effectively and clearly so that problem of increased rate of maternal mortality & morbidity' and ‘female foeticide’ could be dealt with effectively.