Living Will: Your Right to Die with Dignity? Harish Rana Case Sparks Debate

• A Living Will is a written document expressing wishes for end-of-life medical treatment, especially for serious or incurable illnesses.
• It allows individuals to decide on life support (like ventilators) in advance, enabling passive euthanasia for a dignified death.
• The Supreme Court recognized Living Will and passive euthanasia in 2018 as part of the right to life (Article 21).
• Any mentally sound Indian adult (18+) can make a Living Will; the process was simplified in 2023.
• The Harish Rana case from Ghaziabad, where parents seek passive euthanasia for their bedridden son, has brought Living Will into focus.

Why It Matters: Living Will empowers individuals to pre-decide end-of-life care, including passive euthanasia, as a right to dignity.