Supreme Court Allows Passive Euthanasia: Shocking Case Details & List of Countries Where Euthanasia Is Legal

The Supreme Court of India made a historic ruling today by approving passive euthanasia in a rare and sensitive case. The court has allowed the withdrawal of life support for Harish Rana, a 32-year-old man who has been in a permanent vegetative state for over 13 years after his severe accident.

The decision, delivered on March 11th, marks one of the most closely watched applications of India's right to die with dignity framework under passive euthanasia laws.

What is the Harish Rana Case?

Harish Rana was a civil engineering student at Chandigarh University when a tragic accident changed his life in 2013. On August 20, 2013, during the festival of Raksha Bandhan, Rana reportedly fell from the fourth-floor balcony of his paying guest accommodation in Chandigarh.
According to reports, The fall caused severe head injuries, leaving him with 100% disability, quadriplegia, and a permanent vegetative state. Since then, Rana has been dependent on life support systems, including a tracheostomy for breathing and gastrostomy feeding.
Medical evaluations conducted by multiple medical boards from major institutions, including All India Institute of Medical Sciences and hospitals in Noida, said that there was no possibility of recovery.

Father moved court seeking dignity in death

After more than a decade of caring for his son, Rana's father approached the Supreme Court seeking permission to withdraw life support, arguing that staying in artificial life support is violating his son's right to dignity in death.

The court directed AIIMS to admit Rana and supervise the medical and legal procedures involved in implementing passive euthanasia.
A bench comprising Justice J. B. Pardiwala and Justice K. V. Viswanathan reviewed the medical evidence and family consent before approving the withdrawal of life support.

Legality of Passive euthanasia in India

The ruling relies on the major Common Cause v. Union of India judgment, which recognised the right to die with dignity as part of the fundamental right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution.

The Supreme Court had earlier permitted passive euthanasia. In 2023, the court simplified procedures for passive euthanasia and clarified that a living will is not mandatory in certain cases if family consent and medical board approvals are available.

Difference Between Passive & Active Euthanasia

India currently allows passive euthanasia but prohibits active euthanasia.

Passive euthanasia is the Withdrawal of life-support treatment such as ventilators or feeding tubes in irreversible medical conditions.
Active euthanasia is deliberately administering drugs or injections to end life.

While passive euthanasia is legally permitted in India under strict conditions, active euthanasia is still illegal.

Countries where euthanasia is legal

Several countries in the world have legalized active euthanasia or medically assisted dying, though the laws differ. Here is the list of Countries where euthanasia or assisted dying is legal, as per a report by World Population Review:

Netherlands: Legal since 2002 with over 9,000 cases annually mainly for terminal illnesses.
Belgium: Around 3,000 cases each year, including some non-terminal cases.
Canada: Legal under Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) since 2016, with more than 13,000 cases reported in 2023.
Spain: Legalised in 2021.

Other countries such as Colombia, Luxembourg, Portugal, New Zealand, Ecuador and parts of Australia also allow euthanasia or assisted dying under specific legal frameworks.