The Supreme Court has recently intervened in cases where women have sought abortion because the foetus is deformed, triggering demands to allow women to determine the course of their pregnancies. India was one of the 15 countries that passed a liberal abortion law in 1971. Today, the government must bring it in line with international standards and reflect both medical advances and the rights of women over their own bodies. It is estimated that 11.5 million abortions take place in India every year, a significant proportion of the global annual figure of 56 million. In India, unsafe abortion is the third biggest cause of maternal deaths. This is a matter of concern in modern times, when, as the WHO states, “When performed by a skilled provider using correct medical techniques and drugs, and under hygienic conditions, induced abortion is a very safe medical procedure”.

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