What is the case of Aruna Ramchandra Shanbaug v. UOI 2011; Gian Kaur v. State of Punjab 1996?
What is the case of Aruna Ramchandra Shanbaug v. UOI 2011; Gian Kaur v. State of Punjab 1996?
One of the most important cases that brought public attention to the right to die in India has been a matter of study for decades.
The cases of Aruna Ramchandra Shanbaug v. Union of India (UOI) in 2011 and Gian Kaur v. State of Punjab in 1996 dealt with the issue of the right to die in India.
In the case of Aruna Ramchandra Shanbaug, a nurse who had been in a vegetative state for over 37 years after being brutally assaulted by a ward boy, a Public Interest Litigation was filed by a journalist seeking permission for her passive euthanasia. Passive euthanasia is a situation where medical treatment is withheld or withdrawn with the intention of causing the patient's death. The Supreme Court of India rejected the plea for passive euthanasia but laid down guidelines for it. The court also said that the right to die with dignity is a fundamental right under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution which guarantees the right to life and personal liberty.