India's Living Will System Lags Behind Demand

The first passive euthanasia case in India, involving Harish Rana, has highlighted the urgent need for a robust living will system, yet implementation lags significantly. In Mumbai, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is in the process of establishing a system to accept and digitize living wills, documents outlining an individual's end-of-life preferences. Approximately 85 such wills have been submitted by Mumbai residents.

However, the BMC awaits crucial guidelines from the state government to establish a committee and define standard operating procedures for these wills. While the civic body is accepting the documents, their digitization is managed by the state government, which had previously committed to a digital portal within three months from April 2025. Doctor and activist Nikhil Datar emphasizes the necessity of a digital format for these wills, enabling accessibility and verification for medical professionals, especially when needed years later.

Legal experts underscore that living wills are vital for individuals to make autonomous decisions about their medical care, such as the use of ventilators or continued life support, asserting that these choices must be legally recognized and honored through state policy.