HUMAN RIGHTS OF FOETUS: LAWS AND PROTECTION IN INDIA

Abstract

 

The fetus is a legal person and has rights globally. His or her legal status is contingent subject to his or her being born alive. S/he has right to life which begins from the point of conception. As a  medical  term,  foeticide or  feticide  is  destruction of  a  fetus, in legal context it  refers to the deliberate or  incidental  killing of a  fetus due to a  criminal human act.  Traditionally,  in  the  absence of genetic  testing,  infanticide  was the  only  inhumane  option  for  discarding  the female  child.  Abortion of female foetus is called female foeticide. This is a major social problem in India and has cultural connections with the dowry. This paper tries to focus on the rationale behind the foeticide, the effect of this phenomenon on the Indian society. Finally, this research will explore thevarious measures taken to combat this heinous crime for a balanced society.