The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act allows legal abortion in India. If you are 18 years or older, only your consent is required. Abortions can be safely performed by registered doctors at approved centres.

June 14, 2026 - Foundation for Reproductive Health ... Medical Abortion Drugs in the Markets of Six Indian States, 2020. This report indicated that about 56% chemists reported regulatory barriers to stocking and sale of these drugs. Moreover, the conflation in the MTP Act and the DCGI approval for usage of MA drugs only exacerbates the problem further. The MTP Rules allow an approved ...

December 13, 2022 - On International Safe Abortion Day on 28 September 2022, the Supreme Court of India extended the right to legal abortion to 20 weeks’ gestation for all women and to 24 weeks’ gestation under special circumstances.12 With this change, India’s Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act 1971—one of the older abortion laws in the world—also became one of the more progressive.

Abortion is legal in India, with conditions. Understand who can opt for abortion, requirements for legal abortion is the husband's consent needed for abortion, etc.

Yes! Abortion is legal in India under the Medical Termination Act (MTP) Act. Abortions up to 20 weeks require approval from one doctor. For 20-24 weeks, approval is required from two doctors, and only under specific conditions.

September 29, 2022 - NEW DELHI (AP) — India's Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that all women, regardless of marital status, can obtain abortions up to 24 weeks into their pregnancies.

First, the Court held that every pregnant person in India has a right to reproductive decisional autonomy, including transgender and gender-variant persons. Everyone is entitled to reproductive health, including access to safe, effective, and affordable methods of family planning, access to contraception, and sex education. Further, the Court acknowledged that the MTP Act is a provider-centric law that does not focus on the rights of pregnant persons. Since the right to access abortion depends on approval from a RMP, denial of services compels women to approach courts or seek abortion in unsafe conditions.

September 10, 2025 - Supreme Court rules safe and legal abortion under Indian law applies to all women, regardless of marital status.

March 23, 2026 - The ruling, led by Justice B.V. ... ... Abortion in India is not an absolute right but a qualified legal right governed by the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, 1971, and its subsequent amendments....

October 12, 2023 - The MTP Rules allowed married women to abort up to 24 weeks on account of mental anguish, rape and health complications, among others, but unmarried women could not do so.

May 2, 2026 - Abortion in India is primarily governed by the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971, amended in 2021 to expand access and clarify rights.

October 4, 2025 - The law on abortion in India is primarily governed by Sections 312-316 of the Indian Penal Code and the provisions of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971.

May 21, 2026 - Abortion is legal in India under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, but it is not available on demand. The law sets specific grounds, gestational time limits, and consent rules that determine when and how a pregnancy can be terminated.

Abortion is legal in India, but access, awareness, and societal attitudes matter just as much as the law. The 2025 abortion laws signal a more inclusive, rights-based approach. With the implementation of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) rules, increased recognition of abortion rights ...

It is important to note that the ... Rules and Regulations 1975, define the criteria and procedures for approval of an abortion facility, procedures for consent, keeping records and reports, and ensuring confidentiality. Any termination of pregnancy done at a hospital or other facility without prior approval of the Government is deemed illegal and the onus is on the hospital to obtain prior approval.[24] In Nikhil D. Dattar v. Union of India,[25]section ...

April 7, 2026 - The Medical Termination of Pregnancy ... reproductive rights with medical safety. Up to 20 weeks: Abortion is legal with the opinion of one registered medical practitioner....

However, India since the 1970s made a clear stance on the matter of abortion. Respecting the right to personal liberty, reproductive freedom of women and upholding the importance of women’s health, Medical Termination Pregnancy (MTP) has been legal in India since 1971.

September 9, 2024 - A two-judge bench initially ruled in her favor, affirming “the right of a woman over her body.” · Yet the law in India only allows for terminations over 24 weeks in cases of fetal abnormalities or to save the life of the mother, and the ...

March 9, 2024 - The SC noted that under Article ... woman access to a safe abortion breaches her autonomy and freedom. ... Abortion has been legal in India since 1971....

April 23, 2024 - In case of a pregnancy of 20-24 weeks, abortion is allowed as an exception, but only under certain categories, after two registered medical practitioners have evaluated the right to seek termination. Section 3B of the Rules under the MTP Act lists seven categories of forced pregnancies, including statutory rape in case of minors or sexual assault; women with disabilities; or when there is a change in marital status of women during pregnancy.