General information only. This is a summary for understanding, not legal advice. The law and its interpretation can change, so confirm specifics with a registered doctor or a lawyer.
Who it covers
The Act applies to any woman, married or unmarried. A 2021 amendment replaced references to a married woman with "woman" and extended contraceptive failure as a ground to the woman or her partner.
Gestation limits and who must agree
- Up to 20 weeks: opinion of one registered medical practitioner.
- 20 to 24 weeks: opinion of two practitioners, for categories set out in the Rules, such as survivors of sexual assault or rape, minors, and women with disabilities or whose marital status has changed.
- Above 24 weeks: only where a Medical Board finds substantial fetal abnormalities. Termination to save the woman's life is allowed at any time.
Grounds
A practitioner may advise termination where continuing the pregnancy would involve a risk to the woman's life or grave injury to her physical or mental health, where there is a substantial risk of serious fetal abnormality, or where pregnancy results from rape. Failure of a contraceptive method is treated as causing grave injury to mental health.
Consent
The woman's own consent is required, and no one else's if she is an adult. For a minor or a woman with a mental illness, consent of the guardian is needed.
Confidentiality
The Act restricts revealing the name and other particulars of a woman who has had a termination, except to those authorised by law. Ask any clinic how it protects records.
Where and by whom
Termination must be performed by a registered medical practitioner with prescribed training, in a government hospital or an approved facility. Reading about provider choice? See abortion in Delhi and second-trimester MTP. For the shorter summary, see MTP and the law.
General information. This page is educational and does not replace advice from a doctor who has examined you. Read our medical disclaimer.