The government has extended the upper limit for permitting abortions to 24 weeks, from the current 20 weeks, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar told reporters at a Cabinet briefing today, highlighting the increase as a "progressive reform (that) gives women reproductive rights over their bodies". The news comes about four months after the centre told the Supreme Court that right to reproductive autonomy did not outweigh State's interest in protecting a foetus' life and the 20 week limit could not be extended in a blanket manner.
