Recently, the Karnataka Health Department issued an order to implement the Supreme Court’s ruling, allowing terminally ill patients to die with dignity.

• Karnataka is the second state, after Kerala, to implement this directive.
• Euthanasia, or the intentional act of ending a person’s life to relieve suffering from a painful, incurable disease, is a sensitive and complex issue.

Legal Recognition in India:

• In 2018, the Supreme Court of India legalized passive euthanasia, recognizing the right to die with dignity under Article 21 of the Constitution.
• In 2023, the Supreme Court further clarified that passive euthanasia could be carried out using Advance Medical Directives—instructions to withdraw life-supporting treatment when patients are in a state where they cannot communicate their wishes.