Supreme Court (SC) Rules on Reproductive Autonomy under Article 21

Key facts

• The Supreme Court (SC) allowed a 15-year-old minor to terminate a seven-month pregnancy, citing reproductive autonomy under Article 21 of the Constitution.
• A bench comprising Justice B V Nagarathna and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan stated that a woman's choice outweighs the interest of the unborn foetus in such cases.
• The plea was filed as the pregnancy had exceeded the statutory limit prescribed by the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act.
• The SC ruled that the right to make decisions concerning one's body is an integral facet of personal liberty and privacy under Article 21.
• The court noted that compelling a minor to carry a pregnancy to full term against her will could inflict grave mental, emotional, and physical trauma.
• The Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) was identified as the official body for child adoption processes in India.