MTP Provisions

In India, under the MTP Act, abortion is a qualified right. An abortion can’t be performed based solely on a woman’s request. And it can only be performed by a registered medical practitioner before 12 weeks of pregnancy. In case the woman had been pregnant for more than 12 weeks – but for less than 20 weeks – the opinions of two medical practitioners are required. The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act in India came into existence in 1971. It was amended in 2003 to facilitate better implementation and increase access for women especially in the private health sector. Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act prohibits abortion of a foetus after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Recently the Supreme Court has permitted a woman, who was in her 26th week of pregnancy, to abort her foetus that was suffering from severe cardiac ailments.