Centre Notifies Amendments To Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act and Insurance Act

The Centre has notified amendments to Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act and Insurance Act.

Both these amendments received the assent of the President of India yesterday (25th March), and shall come into force on such date as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint.

The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020, was passed by Parliament on 16th March. The amendment modifies Section 3 of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act to extend the upper limit for medical termination of pregnancy to 24 weeks, from the present stipulation of 20 weeks, for certain categories of women which will be defined in the MTP Rules. These categories will include 'vulnerable women' including rape victims.

The Parliament had passed the Insurance (Amendment) Bill, 2021, on 22nd March, which seeks to increase the maximum permissible Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the insurance sector to 74%, from the current limit of 49%. The amendment seeks to achieve the objective of Government's Foreign Direct Investment Policy of supplementing domestic long-term capital, technology and skills for the growth of the economy and the insurance sector, and thereby enhance insurance penetration and social protection, it has been decided to raise the limit of foreign investment in Indian insurance companies from the existing 49 per cent. to 74 per cent."

The Appropriation Act 2021 , Appropriation No 2 Act 2021,  Puducherry Appropriation Act 2021, Puducherry Appropriation Vote on Account Act 2021, Jammu and Kashmir Appropriation Act 2021, Jammu and Kashmir Appropriation No 2 Act 2021, have also been notified yesterday. 

Click here to Read/Download Act [MTP]

Click here to Read/Download Act [Insurance]