Supreme Court of India Allows Passive Euthanasia for Harish Rana

The India===Supreme Court of India has granted permission for passive euthanasia for Harish Rana, a 31-year-old man who has been in a persistent vegetative state for over 12 years following a fall in 2013. This landmark decision, delivered by a bench of Justices J. B. Pardiwala and K. V. Viswanathan, marks the first judicial application of the passive euthanasia framework in India, which was formally legalized in 2018 through the 'Common Cause v. Union of India' judgment. The court directed India===All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, to admit Harish Rana into palliative care for the withdrawal of artificial life support, ensuring the process maintains his dignity. The ruling emphasizes that the right to life under Article 21 includes the right to die with dignity when there is no hope of recovery and continued treatment serves no therapeutic purpose. The court also acknowledged the selfless care provided by Harish Rana's parents and recommended that the Union government consider comprehensive legislation on passive euthanasia. This decision builds upon previous legal precedents, including the Aruna Shanbaug case case of 2011, which first recognized the legality of passive euthanasia in rare circumstances.