Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971
3. When pregnancies may be terminated by
registered medical practitioners. -
(1) Not with standing anything contained in
the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860), a registered medical practitioner
shall not guilty of any offence under that Code or under any other law for the
time being in force, if any under that pregnancy is terminated by him in
accordance with the provisions of this Act.
(2) Subject to the provisions of sub-section
(4), a pregnancy may be terminated by a registered medical practitioner.-
(a) where the length
of the pregnancy does not exceed twelve weeks if such medical practitioner is,
or
(b) Where the length
of the pregnancy exceeds twelve weeks but does not exceed twenty weeks, if not
less than two registered medical practitioners are, of opinion, formed in
good faith, that,-
( i )
the continuance of the pregnancy would involve a risk to the life of the
pregnant woman or of grave injury to her physical or mental health , or
(ii) there is a
substantial risk that If the child were born. it would suffer from such
physical or mental abnormalities as to be seriously handicapped.
Explanation 1.- Where any pregnancy is
alleged by the pregnant woman to have been caused by rape, the anguish caused
by such pregnancy shall be presumed to constitute a grave injury to the
mental health of the pregnant woman.
Explanation 2.- Where any pregnancy
occurs as a result of failure of any device or method used by any married woman
or her husband for the purpose of limiting the number of children, the anguish caused
by such unwanted pregnancy may be presumed to constitute a grave injury to the
mental health of the pregnant woman.
(3) In determining whether the
continuance of pregnancy would involve such risk of injury to the health as is
mentioned in sub-section (2), account may be taken of the
pregnant woman's actual or reasonable foreseeable environment.
(4) (a) No pregnancy of a woman, who has not
attained the age of eighteen years, or, who, having attained the age of
eighteen years. is a lunatic shall be terminated except with the consent in
writing of her guardian.
(b) Save as otherwise
provided in CI.(a), no pregnancy shall be terminated except with the consent of
the pregnant woman.