Supreme Court Clarifies India’s Right-to-Die-with-Dignity Framework in Harish Rana

On 11 March 2026, the Supreme Court delivered judgment in Harish Rana v. Union of India, 2026 INSC 222, further clarifying India’s legal framework for withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment. The Court held that clinically assisted nutrition and hydration can constitute medical treatment capable of lawful withdrawal within the passive-euthanasia framework and centred the decision on the patient’s best interests. It also streamlined procedural guidance arising from the Common Cause line of cases and emphasised palliative and end-of-life care. The ruling became an important development in the constitutional law of dignity, medical consent and end-of-life decision-making under Article 21.