In a landmark judgment that marks a first in Indian legal history, the Supreme Court has granted permission for ‘passive euthanasia’ to a 31-year-old youth from Ghaziabad. Harish Rana had been in a ‘persistent vegetative state’ for the last 13 years following a tragic accident in 2013, where he fell from the fourth floor of a hostel at Punjab University.

His aging parents, unable to see their son in a perpetual state of unconsciousness supported only by tubes and machines, moved the apex court seeking relief. Today, the court allowed the withdrawal of life support, bringing a compassionate end to Harish’s prolonged suffering. Furthermore, the Supreme Court advised the Central Government to consider drafting a formal law regarding passive euthanasia to handle such complex ethical and medical dilemmas in the future.