Parliament yet to act on end-of-life care law despite repeated SC nudges: RS member
New Delhi (PTI): A member of the Rajya Sabha on Monday urged the government to introduce legislation on end-of-life care for terminally ill patients, pointing out that Parliament has failed to act on the issue despite multiple Law Commission reports and Supreme Court directives spanning two decades.
Raising the matter during Zero Hour, IUML MP Harish Beeran (Kerala) called on the government to introduce the Medical Treatment of terminally ill patients (End-of-Life Care) Act, as recommended by the Law Commission, and to mandate palliative care infrastructure at every district hospital and primary health centre.
Beeran's remarks came in the wake of a Supreme Court order last week permitting withdrawal of life support for Harish Rana, who had been in a permanent vegetative state for 13 years following an accidental fall in 2013.
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A bench of Justice Jamshed Pardiwala and Justice K V Viswanathan reportedly had tears in their eyes while delivering the judgment, telling the patient's parents they were not giving up on their son but allowing him to live with dignity, he said.
Citing a series of legislative inactions, Beeran said the Law Commission's 196th Report in 2006 had examined the issue of passive euthanasia in detail and appended a draft law, but Parliament did not act.
The Supreme Court intervened in 2011 in the Aruna Shanbaug case to frame guidelines.
The 241st Law Commission Report in 2012 again proposed a draft legislation. A Constitution bench in the Common Cause case in 2018 issued guidelines, noting explicitly they would operate only until Parliament enacted a law. The guidelines were modified in 2023. The latest judgment in 2026 has again expressed hope that Parliament will act.
"How much more can the Supreme Court stretch Article 21?" Beeran said, referring to the Constitutional right to life with dignity, which courts have interpreted to include the right to die with dignity.
The MP also flagged the financial burden on families, noting that over 65 per cent of all healthcare expenditure in the country is paid entirely out of pocket.
He cited Kerala's community-based palliative care programme, operational since 2008, as a model for the rest of the country. The programme covers every gram panchayat in the state and integrates over 500 NGOs.
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BJP names 144 candidates in first list for Bengal polls, fields Suvendu from Bhabanipur
New Delhi (PTI): The BJP on Monday released its first list of 144 candidates for next month’s Assembly elections in West Bengal, fielding Suvendu Adhikari from Bhabanipur in Kolkata, a seat held by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
According to the list, Dilip Ghosh has been fielded from Kharagpur Sadar, Biman Mahto from Salboni, both in Paschim Medinipur district, while Swapan Dasgupta will contest the Rasbehari seat in south Kolkata.
Sumita Sinha will contest from Kanthi Uttar in Purba Medinipur district, Biman Ghosh from Pursurah in Hooghly district, while Madhavi Mahalder has been fielded from Kultali in South 24 Parganas district.
Anima Datta has been fielded from Palashipara in Nadia district, while Lakshikant Sahu has been named the BJP candidate from Jhargram, according to the list.
Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee had won from Bhabanipur in the bypoll held in 2021, which was crucial for her to continue as the chief minister after her defeat in Nandigram at the hands of Suvendu Adhikari.
The 294 seats in West Bengal will go to polls in two phases – April 23 and April 29 – with the counting scheduled on May 4.
