DIGNITY IN DEATH: THE SUPREME COURT’S PASSIVE EUTHANASIA RULING IN THE HARISH RANA CASE

AUTHOR –ANVESHA RANA, ADVOCATE, DISTRICT & SESSIONS COURT, DEHRADUN

BEST CITATION – ANVESHA RANA, DIGNITY IN DEATH: THE SUPREME COURT’S PASSIVE EUTHANASIA RULING IN THE HARISH RANA CASE, INDIAN JOURNAL OF LEGAL REVIEW (IJLR), 6 (5) OF 2026, PG. 01-05, APIS – 3920 – 0001 & ISSN – 2583-2344.

Abstract

In India, the Right to life under the Constitution has never been interpreted as a guarantee of merely surviving. Judicial interpretation has, over the years, transformed Article 21 into a provision that protects individual dignity and the quality of life. This expanded interpretation has also influenced discussions surrounding end-of-life decisions, particularly when modern medical advancements can extend biological life without the possibility of restoring significant consciousness. Challenges related to euthanasia frequently emerge at the nexus of ethics, medicine, and law. While the legal framework has consistently emphasized the preservation of life, medical progress has enabled treatments that can indefinitely sustain bodily functions, even in situations where recovery is deemed medically improbable.