Notes

The word euthanasia, which originated in Greece, means a good death. Euthanasia encompasses various dimensions, from active (introducing something to cause death) to passive (withholding treatment or supportive measures); voluntary (consent) to involuntary (consent from a guardian); and physician-assisted (where physicians prescribe the medicine and the patient or a third party administers the medication to cause death). The request for premature ending of life has contributed to the debate about the role of such practices in contemporary health care. A civilized society's legal, ethical, human rights, health, religious, economic, spiritual, social, and cultural facets are only a few of the many intricate and dynamic topics covered by this discussion. In addition to attempting to convey the suffering of the patients and their caretakers, we argue this complicated matter from the viewpoints of both supporters and opponents. Considering the context of the recent Supreme Court ruling, the goal is to talk about euthanasia from a medical and human rights standpoint. Both attempting suicide and encouraging someone else to commit suicide are crimes in India. The Indian Penal Code, Section 309, was challenged in the Supreme Court in 1994 about its constitutional validity. Under Article 21 (Right to Life) of the Constitution, the Supreme Court ruled in a historic decision that IPC Sec. 309 is unconstitutional. 1996 saw the Supreme Court hear a compelling case involving the encouragement of suicide (IPC Sec. 306).