The Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act 1971 was a revolutionary step to resolve gender inequality and unsafe abortions. Due to advancement in ultrasound and genetic technologies, more and more anomalies were being picked up, sometimes later than 20 weeks of pregnancy, which was the cutoff for termination as per the act. This was a cause of much distress to pregnant women, who were forced to either move the court of law or continue the pregnancy. The 2021 amendment addresses these concerns and is a welcome step.

Criteria for termination of pregnancy are:

1. 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 (includes failure of contraception and pregnancy caused by alleged rape)

2. there is a substantial risk that if the child were born, it would suffer from any serious physical or mental abnormality.

Opinion of only 1 practitioner will be required up to 20 weeks of gestation and of 2 practitioners for termination of pregnancy of 20- 24 weeks of gestation.

Details of all women undergoing termination shall be kept confidential. Termination of pregnancy must be carried out in a registered centre by a registered medical practitioner after a written informed consent over the prescribed form.

The MTP amendment 2021 is a welcome step, promoting reproductive autonomy of women and reducing gender bias. It has also reduced unsafe and illegal abortions, and helped drastically reduce maternal mortality.