MTP Act: SC suggests amendment to remove gestational limits for minor rape survivors

Key facts

• The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, last amended in 2021, prescribes a general upper limit of 20 weeks for termination.
• Termination may extend up to 24 weeks for categories including survivors of rape or sexual assault, minors, women facing change in marital status, women with disabilities or mental illness, and cases of substantial foetal abnormalities.
• Beyond 24 weeks, termination is allowed only to save the life of the woman or for significant foetal abnormalities diagnosed by a state-level Medical Board.
• The Supreme Court suggested amending the MTP Act to remove time limits for unwanted pregnancy due to rape of a minor girl, citing delays in reporting and trauma.
• The Court clarified that statutory gestational limits do not constrain constitutional courts under Article 142, and that a medical institution cannot override the minor's autonomy.