The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Act, 2017 was enacted by the government of India with the intention of ____________.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Reducing the incidence of illegal abortion and consequent maternal mortality and morbidity
MTP (medical termination of pregnancy) is the intentional ending of a pregnancy before full term. India first legalised MTP in 1971 with strict conditions. Unsafe, illegal abortions done by unqualified people often kill or harm the mother. Maternal mortality means the death of mothers; morbidity means illness.
Option (1) Reducing the incidence of illegal abortion and consequent paternal mortality and morbidity — Incorrect. Paternal means of the father. An abortion endangers the mother, not the father.
Option (2) Reducing the incidence of legal delivery and consequent maternal mortality and morbidity — Incorrect. The Act deals with abortion, not childbirth. No law aims to reduce safe, legal deliveries.
Option (3) Reducing the incidence of legal abortion and consequent maternal mortality and morbidity — Incorrect. Legal MTP done by a registered medical practitioner is safe. The Act targets illegal abortions, which are the unsafe ones.
Option (4) Reducing the incidence of illegal abortion and consequent maternal mortality and morbidity — Correct. This is the purpose of the Act, in the book’s own words.
NCERT Extract:
Population Stabilisation and Birth Control – “… The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Act, 2017 was enacted by the government of India with the intension of reducing the incidence of illegal abortion and consequent maternal mortality and morbidity. According to this Act, a pregnancy may be terminated on certain considered grounds within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy on the opinion of one registered medical practitioner.”