18/06/2020
Qn.5) In the context of Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020, consider the following statements
1. It seeks to extend the upper limit for permitting abortions from 20 weeks to 24 under special circumstances.
2. The Bill proposes a requirement of opinion of one registered medical practitioner (RMP) for termination of pregnancy up to 20 weeks of gestation.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Ans: (c) Both 1 and 2
Learning Zone: It seeks to extend the upper limit for permitting abortions from 20 weeks to 24 under special circumstances.
The “special categories of women” include r**e survivors, victims of in**st, the differently abled and minors.
The Bill proposes requirement of opinion of one registered medical practitioner (RMP) for termination of pregnancy up to 20 weeks of gestation.
It also provides for the requirement of opinion of two RMPs for termination of pregnancy of 20 to 24 weeks.
Why is this question important? The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020, which seeks to amend the MTP Act, 1971, was passed in Lok Sabha recently.