Sansad TV

Perspective: Supreme Court Allows First Passive Euthanasia | 11 March, 2026

Sansad Tv

“To be or not to be…” – You must have heard this famous line from William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet. Few lines in English literature are quoted as often. But this week, it also figured in a significant judicial interpretation of the right to die with dignity. Delivering a landmark judgement allowing passive euthanasia in India, a bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and KV Vishwanathan referenced this line from Hamlet – reflecting the struggle while dealing with the question: Whether it is better to live and endure life’s suffering or to end life to free oneself of the pain.? Emphasising dignity and compassion in medical care for patients with irreversible conditions, the two-judge bench permitted the withdrawal of life support for 32-year-old Harish Rana, who has been in a vegetative state for the past 13 years. Harish Rana suffered severe head injuries after falling from a building in 2013. The accident caused critical brain damage, leaving him paralysed, unresponsive and completely dependent on caregivers ever since. With no improvement in his condition and years of prolonged suffering, his parents approached the court seeking permission to withdraw medical treatment and allow him to pass away peacefully. Their petition in 2024 had been dismissed earlier. But the latest ruling came after Rana’s condition deteriorated further, and medical boards set up by the court declared his condition irreversible. Calling it an emotionally difficult appeal, the Supreme Court has now directed that all medical treatment, including clinically assisted nutrition, be withdrawn, while ensuring the process is carried out in a humane manner. The judgement brings closure to the long emotional and legal struggle of Rana’s family. At the same time, it also becomes an important reference point for both the legal and medical community in interpreting the right to die with dignity under the Indian Constitution.

Guests:- 1. Dr. Vipul Mudgal, Director, Common Cause