SC to Rule on Euthanasia for Man in Coma for 13 Years; Big Verdict Today

• The Supreme Court will deliver its verdict today on a petition seeking passive euthanasia for Harish Rana, 32, who has been in a permanent vegetative state for 13 years.
• Harish Rana suffered severe head injuries in 2013 after falling from a fourth-floor balcony of his PG accommodation while studying civil engineering at Chandigarh University.
• His parents, who sold their Delhi home and moved to Ghaziabad to be near him at AIIMS, have been seeking legal permission for passive euthanasia due to his prolonged suffering.
• Passive euthanasia, involving withdrawal of life support, was recognized in India in 2011 (Aruna Shanbaug case) and legalized in 2018 (Common Cause vs Union of India ruling), while active euthanasia remains illegal.
• Medical boards concluded Harish has negligible chances of recovery and is being kept "artificially alive"; the SC's decision on January 15, 2026, could be India's first approved passive euthanasia case.

Why It Matters: The Supreme Court's verdict today on Harish Rana's passive euthanasia case could set a significant precedent.