US EditionHarish Rana: Supreme Court allows 'passive euthanasia' of patient in vegetative state
- A Bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K.V. Viswanathan authorised withdrawal of clinically-assisted nutrition and hydration for patient Harish Rana on March 11, 2026 at the Supreme Court of India.
- Because Rana had no living will, his parents petitioned after his 2013 fall left him in a vegetative state for over 12 years, and they exhausted their savings caring for him.
- Medical boards reported that both primary and secondary medical boards unanimously recommended discontinuing treatment after finding permanent brain damage and no meaningful interaction.
- Procedural directions require structured withdrawal at AIIMS Delhi palliative care unit, with Chief Medical Officers maintaining practitioner panels and Judicial First Class Magistrates notified, while urging the Union government to consider legislation.
- The ruling marks the first time the 2018 Common Cause judgment has been practically applied, with the Bench waiver of 30-day waiting period after meeting Rana's family, reviving debate since the Aruna Shanbaug case.
52 Articles
52 Articles
‘You are not giving up on your son’: Supreme Court’s emotional note to family while delivering Harish Rana euthanasia verdict
The Supreme Court allowed the withdrawal of medical support for Harish Rana, who has been on life support after he suffered severe head injuries in August 2013.
Following the Supreme Court's decision in the case of Harish Rana, who is living in a permanent vegetative state, many questions are being raised across the country. The biggest question is what will happen next after the court's approval and how this process will proceed. Let's find the answers to these questions.
India’s Supreme Court grants landmark approval to end life support for man in decade-long vegetative state
NEW DELHI, March 11 — India’s Supreme Court authorised today the withdrawal of life support from a man who has been in a vegetative state for over a decade, the first such ruling in the country’s history.India recognised passive euthanasia in 2018, permitting the removal of life support under strict conditions to allow death to occur naturally.But this marks the first time that a court has approved its use for an individual.The parents of Harish…
India allows first passive euthanasia: How Supreme Court's ruling for Harish Rana compares to laws around the world
The Supreme Court has allowed passive euthanasia for the first time in the Harish Rana case, permitting withdrawal of life support for a 32-year-old in a vegetative state since 2013. Here is how India's law compares to euthanasia legislation across the world.
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