Do you think that the Government of India ensures reproductive rights to women via Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Amendment Bill 2020? Critically Analyse (200 Words)
Refer - The Indian Express
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IAS Parliament 4 years
KEY POINTS
Rajya Sabha passed the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Amendment Bill 2020 despite much opposition and calls to send the Bill to a Select Committee.
Features
· The Bill was cleared by an Ethics Committee and a Group of Ministers.
· Consultations with the Law and Justice Ministry while passing the bill.
Provisions
· Abortion under the MTP Amendment Bill will not be allowed at the request of a pregnant person, but is conditional on authorisation by the doctor.
· The Bill will allow for abortions without any upper gestation limit only for foetuses with abnormalities.
· Mandatory setting up of Medical Boards in every state and Union Territory.
Criticisms
· Lack of consultation with stakeholders, lack of inclusion of transgender people within the MTP framework.
· Medical boards would constitute violations of privacy, delays in abortion access due to lack of specialists, lack of time limits for decision-making.
· People living in rural areas in large parts of the country could find these Boards inaccessible.
· In passing the MTP Amendment Bill, the State continues to control women’s reproductive and sexual rights while wielding the argument of progress.
Dev 4 years
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IAS Parliament 4 years
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