The Parliament today approved a Bill to amend the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, 1971, providing for rigorous imprisonment of up to seven years for those found guilty of carrying out illegal abortions. An expert group constituted to review the Act and the National Commission for Women suggested amendments to remove provisions, which were discriminatory for women.

The MTP Act legalised termination of pregnancy on various socio-medical grounds and aimed at eliminating abortion by untrained persons and in unhygienic conditions, thus reducing maternal morbidity and mortality.

Under the amended Bill, the word 'lunatic' has been substituted with 'mentally ill person.' It delegates powers to the government to approve places for the MTP and constituting district level committees to be headed by the chief medical officer or the district health officer. Accordingly, the state governments have been directed to ensure no illegal abortions are done.

Punishment of rigorous imprisonment of not less than two years and extending up to seven years to those operating clinics, which are unauthorised to conduct abortions, is provided in the Bill.