NEW DELHI: 31-year-old Harish Rana, the first person to be granted passive euthanasia in India, passed away at AIIMS-Delhi on Tuesday after remaining in a vegetative state for over 13 years, according to PTI. Rana had been in a vegetative state since August 2013 after falling from a building in Chandigarh.The Supreme Court had on March 11 allowed passive euthanasia in Rana’s case, reigniting debate over the ethical and legal distinction between “letting a patient die” and actively ending life.
A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and KV Viswanathan referenced William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” while interpreting the Right to Die. “The famous literary Shakespeare quote ‘To be or not to be’ is now being used for judicially interpreting the ‘Right to Die,” Justice Pardiwala noted.The bench also praised Rana’s parents for their decision, saying, “You are not giving up on your son. You are allowing him to live with dignity.”The court observed that continued administration of Clinically Assisted Nutrition (CAN) was not in Rana’s best interest and directed AIIMS to ensure a dignified withdrawal of life support.Passive euthanasia involves withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining treatment in cases where a patient is terminally ill or has no chance of recovery, allowing a natural death. This is distinct from active euthanasia, which involves deliberate intervention to cause death and remains illegal in India.In October 2024, the Union health ministry issued draft guidelines on the withdrawal of life support in terminally ill patients. These state that such decisions must be based on considered medical opinion and can be taken under specific conditions, including brainstem death, advanced illness with no benefit from aggressive treatment, informed refusal by the patient or surrogate, and adherence to Supreme Court procedures.While Indian courts have recognised passive euthanasia under strict safeguards and medical oversight, active euthanasia continues to be prohibited under current law.Also read: How Harish Rana’s case revived memories of Aruna Shanbaug’s long, silent fight for dignity in death
