The Supreme Court of India on Wednesday allowed a 31-year-old man from Ghaziabad, who has been in a persistent vegetative state for over a decade, the right to withdraw life support. The court acted on a plea filed by his parents and also asked the Centre to consider bringing a law on passive euthanasia.
Harish Rana, a student of Punjab University, suffered severe brain injuries in 2013 after falling from the fourth floor of a building. Since then, he has remained bedridden and dependent on a tracheostomy tube for breathing and a gastrojejunostomy tube for feeding.
A bench comprising Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice KV Viswanathan allowed the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment after medical reports confirmed that there had been no improvement in Rana’s condition for more than 13 years. The court said the withdrawal of life support must satisfy two conditions: it should qualify as medical treatment and must be in the patient’s best interests.
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What is euthanasia?
Euthanasia, also known as mercy killing or physician-assisted death, refers to intentionally ending a person’s life to relieve suffering caused by serious illness. In euthanasia, another individual, usually a doctor, either directly ends the patient’s life or withdraws life-sustaining treatment.
In assisted suicide, the patient performs the final act themselves, while another person provides the means to do so.
In India, active euthanasia and assisted suicide remain illegal. However, passive euthanasia, which involves withdrawing life support, is allowed under limited circumstances following guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court.
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Countries where euthanasia or assisted suicide is legal
Several countries have legalised euthanasia or assisted suicide under strict conditions.
These include the Netherlands and Belgium, where euthanasia has been legal since 2002, and Luxembourg, where it became legal in 2009.
Canada legalised it in 2016, followed by Spain in 2021 and New Zealand after a 2020 referendum. In Australia, voluntary assisted dying is permitted across all six states.
Switzerland allows assisted suicide but not active euthanasia. In the United States, assisted suicide is legal in several states, including Oregon, Washington, Vermont, California, Hawaii, New Jersey and Maine, as well as in Washington DC, while Montana permits it through court rulings.
In Latin America, Colombia and Ecuador allow euthanasia under certain conditions. Portugal and Uruguay have also passed laws on the issue, though their full implementation is still pending.
