Harish Rana Gets SC Nod for Passive Euthanasia; What is a Living Will?

• Supreme Court grants passive euthanasia to Harish Rana, 32, comatose for 12 years, directing AIIMS for palliative care.
• The ruling brings focus on 'Living Wills', legal documents outlining end-of-life medical treatment wishes.
• Passive euthanasia was first recognized in the 2011 Aruna Shanbaug case and formally legalized in 2018 as a "Right to Die with Dignity" under Article 21.
• A Living Will allows individuals over 18 to specify preferences for treatments like ventilation, feeding tubes, or CPR if unable to communicate.
• Mumbai's P D Hinduja Hospital launched India's first 'Living Will Clinic' to guide individuals in preparing these advance medical directives.