The Supreme Court of India allowed withdrawal of life support for Harish Rana, a 32-year-old in a vegetative state for 13 years, applying guidelines from Common Cause v. Union of India and reaffirming the right to die with dignity. The order marks the first judicial application of the passive euthanasia guidelines laid down in the Common Cause v. Union of India decision. What is passive euthanasia? Unlike active euthanasia, which involves deliberately causing death, passive euthanasia allows death to occur by withdrawing medical support. The bench further recommended that the government consider introducing comprehensive legislation governing passive euthanasia.

Source: dna March 11, 2026 07:22 UTC