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Harish Rana V. Union Of India (2026 INSC 222): A Landmark Judgment On Passive Euthanasia In India




Aprajita Ray, BA LL.B., Deen Dayaal Upadhyaya Gorakhpur University


ABSTRACT


The Supreme Court's March 11, 2026 judgment in Harish Rana v. Union of India authorizes India's first passive euthanasia, implementing Common Cause v. Union of India (2018) guidelines. Justices Pardiwala and Viswanathan permitted withdrawal of artificial nutrition for a 32-year-old in permanent vegetative state (PVS) since 2013, affirming Article 21's "right to die with dignity." The ruling clarifies procedural safeguards via dual medical boards, distinguishes passive from active euthanasia, and mandates palliative care while exposing implementation challenges absent living wills and rural healthcare infrastructure.


Keywords: Passive Euthanasia, Article 21, Right to Die with Dignity, PVS, Common Cause, Living Wills.



Indian Journal of Law and Legal Research

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Abbreviation: IJLLR

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ISSN: 2582-8878

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Website: www.ijllr.com

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Accessibility: Open Access

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License: Creative Commons 4.0

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All research articles published in The Indian Journal of Law and Legal Research are fully open access. i.e. immediately freely available to read, download and share. Articles are published under the terms of a Creative Commons license which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

 

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The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the IJLLR or its members. The designations employed in this publication and the presentation of material therein do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the IJLLR.

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