Abortion in India

Abortion has been legal in India under various circumstances with the introduction of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, 1971.^[1] The Medical Termination of Pregnancy Regulations, 2003 were issued under the Act to enable women to access safe and legal abortion services.^[2]

In 2021, MTP Amendment Act 2021^[3] was passed with certain amendments to the MTP Act 1971, such as women being allowed to seek safe abortion services on grounds of contraceptive failure, an increase in gestation limit to 24 weeks for special categories of women, and opinion of one abortion service provider required up to 20 weeks of gestation. Abortion can now be performed until 24 weeks of pregnancy as the MTP Amendment Act 2021 has come into force by notification in Gazette from 24 September 2021.^[4] The cost of the abortion service is covered fully by the government's public national health insurance funds, Ayushman Bharat and Employees' State Insurance with the package rate for surgical abortion being set at ₹15,500 (US$190) which includes consultation, therapy, hospitalization, medication, ultrasound, and follow-up treatments. For medical abortion, the package rate is set at ₹1,500 (US$18) which includes consultation and USG.^[5]

^ "MTP ACT, 1971 | Ministry of Health and Family Welfare | GOI". Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. 10 August 1971. Archived from the original on 6 August 2022. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
^ "MTP Regulations (Department of Family Welfare) Notification". Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. New Delhi. 13 June 2003. Archived from the original on 30 September 2022. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
^ "CG-DL-E-26032021-226130 -- Extraordinary Part II, Section 1, The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Act, 2021, No. 8 of 2021" (PDF). The Gazette of India. Government of India. 25 March 2021. pp. 1–3. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 July 2022. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
^ "Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Act, 2021". 6 January 2024. Archived from the original on 8 January 2024. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
^ "Ayushman Packages" (PDF). Vardhaman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital. New Delhi: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 September 2022. Retrieved 30 September 2022.

[:3-1] "MTP ACT, 1971 | Ministry of Health and Family Welfare | GOI". Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. 10 August 1971. Archived from the original on 6 August 2022. Retrieved 23 July 2021.

[2] "MTP Regulations (Department of Family Welfare) Notification". Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. New Delhi. 13 June 2003. Archived from the original on 30 September 2022. Retrieved 30 September 2022.

[Gazette_MTP_Amendment-3] "CG-DL-E-26032021-226130 -- Extraordinary Part II, Section 1, The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Act, 2021, No. 8 of 2021" (PDF). The Gazette of India. Government of India. 25 March 2021. pp. 1–3. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 July 2022. Retrieved 30 September 2022.

[4] "Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Act, 2021". 6 January 2024. Archived from the original on 8 January 2024. Retrieved 8 January 2024.

[5] "Ayushman Packages" (PDF). Vardhaman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital. New Delhi: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 September 2022. Retrieved 30 September 2022.

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