Supreme Court Asks Government to Respond to Plea for Mercy Killing of Vegetative State Patient Harish Rana
The Supreme Court of India has asked the central government to respond to a plea seeking the formation of a medical board to consider passive euthanasia for Harish Rana, who has been in a vegetative state for 11 years. A bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud has sought a response from the Centre and others on the plea.
Harish Rana, a former B Tech student at Punjab University, suffered a severe head injury in 2013, resulting in a permanent vegetative state. His parents, aged 62 and 55, have been his primary caretakers but are struggling due to their advancing age and financial burden. The petition, represented by advocates Manish Jain and Jugul Kishor Gupta, challenges a Delhi High Court order and highlights the family’s emotional and financial struggles.
The petition states that Harish has not shown any signs of recovery for the past 11 years and suffers from severe bed sores, leading to frequent infections. The family has consulted various doctors, all of whom have indicated no hope for recovery. The plea seeks the constitution of a medical board to evaluate Harish’s condition for the possibility of passive euthanasia.
Doubts Revealed
Supreme Court -: The Supreme Court is the highest court in India. It makes important decisions about laws and justice.
Government -: The government is a group of people who make rules and decisions for a country. In India, it includes the Prime Minister and other leaders.
Plea -: A plea is a request made to a court asking for something, like help or a decision.
Mercy Killing -: Mercy killing, also known as euthanasia, is when someone helps a very sick person die to stop their suffering.
Vegetative State -: A vegetative state is when a person is alive but not aware of anything around them. They can’t talk or move much.
Harish Rana -: Harish Rana is the person who has been in a vegetative state for 11 years. His family is asking for help because they can’t take care of him anymore.
Central Government -: The central government is the main government of India, which makes decisions for the whole country.
Medical Board -: A medical board is a group of doctors who make important decisions about people’s health.
Passive Euthanasia -: Passive euthanasia is when doctors stop giving treatment to a very sick person, allowing them to die naturally.
Delhi High Court -: The Delhi High Court is a big court in Delhi that makes important legal decisions.
Financial Burden -: A financial burden means having a lot of money problems, like not being able to pay for things you need.
Emotional Burden -: An emotional burden means feeling very sad or stressed because of a difficult situation.