Healthcare & Ethics: India’s First Judicially Sanctioned Passive Euthanasia

In a landmark decision that marked India’s first judicially sanctioned case of passive euthanasia, the Supreme Court in March 2026 delivered its order in Harish Rana v. Union of India, permitting the withdrawal of life support from a patient who had remained in a Persistent Vegetative State (PVS) for 13 years following a road accident. This ruling applied the framework established in the landmark Common Cause v. Union of India (2018) judgment, representing a profound evolution in the constitutional right to die with dignity under Article 21. By classifying clinically assisted nutrition and hydration (CANH) as medical treatment rather than basic care, and applying a rigorous “best interests” standard, the Court navigated complex medical ethics while expanding end-of-life autonomy in deeply personal circumstances.