Paper: GS – II, Subject: Polity, Topic: Broad/Overlap, Issue: Reforming Passive Euthanasia.
Context:
The UK House of Commons passed the Terminally ill Adults Bill allowing physician-assisted dying for mentally competent adults with less than six months to live.
Key Highlights:
India’s case:
- India already allows passive euthanasia (withdrawal of life-support) under Supreme Court judgments (Aruna Shanbaug case, 2011 and Common Cause case, 2018).
- However, implementation remains cumbersome due to procedural and legal hurdles.
Challenges in India’s Current Framework:
Way Forward — Reforming Passive Euthanasia:
(a) Streamlining Procedures: Simplify the advance directive process through:
- Digital national portal linked with Aadhaar/biometric verification.
- Allow patients to update or revoke their directives easily.
(b) Hospital Committees:
- Include senior doctors, palliative care specialists, and neutral third parties to decide on withdrawal of life support.
- Establish clear time limits and reporting protocols.
(c) Oversight and Transparency:
- Create decentralised review mechanisms — hospital or district-level panels with digital dashboards for monitoring.
- Independent medical auditors or health commissioners for oversight.
(d) Public Awareness & Ethical Education:
- Promote advance care planning and death with dignity awareness through campaigns.
- Include end-of-life care ethics in medical education.
Conclusion:
India must reform its passive euthanasia system to make it humane, accessible, and transparent. The focus should be on digitally enabled, compassionate end-of-life care that preserves both human dignity and legal integrity.
https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/reforming-passive-euthanasia-in-india/article70131004.ece
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