The President has given his consent to the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2002.

The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Act, 2002, seeks to amend the Principal Act of 1971 to provide for a deterrent punishment of two years rigorous imprisonment extendable upto seven years of such harsh punishment to those who are not registered medical practioners for unauthorized and illegal terminal of pregnancies. Besides, person owning the place where such acts are performed, if not approved within this Act, shall also get the same deterrent punishment. It will be enforced from a date to be notified by the Government.

Along with this Bill, the Countess of Dufferin's Fund (Repeal) Bill, 2002, the Prevention of Food Adulteration (Extension to Kohima and Mokokchung Districts) Repeal Bill, 2002, the Appropriation (Railways) No.5 Bill, 2002, the North-Eastern Council (Amendment) Bill, 2002 and the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against Safety of Maritime Navigation and Fixed Platforms on Continental Shelf Bill, 2002 were also passed.

With this, these six Bills, as passed by the Parliament during its Winter Session ending December 20, 2002, have been notified in the Gazette of India as Act Nos. 64, 65, 66, 67, 68 and 69 respectively of the year 2002.