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AAAruna Shanbaug v. Union of India (2011): This was the watershed moment where the Supreme Court formally recognized passive euthanasia for the first time. The Court allowed for the withdrawal of life support for patients in a permanent vegetative state under strictly monitored, case-by-case judicial supervision.
Common Cause v. Union of India (2018): In this landmark ruling, a five-judge Constitution Bench held that the right to die with dignity is a fundamental right. Crucially, it legalized "Living Wills" (Advance Medical Directives), allowing adults of sound mind to pre-authorize the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment should they reach an irreversible terminal state.
Refinement of Guidelines (2023): The Supreme Court modified its 2018 guidelines to simplify the implementation of passive euthanasia, making the process of executing a Living Will and obtaining necessary medical board approvals less cumbersome.
The Recent Development (March 2026)
As of today, March 11, 2026, the Supreme Court has issued a significant order in the case of Harish Rana, a 32-year-old who had been in a coma for over 13 years. This is widely considered the first instance of a court-ordered passive euthanasia following the established 2018/2023 framework. The judgment clarified that even if a patient is not "terminally ill" in the conventional sense, they may qualify for the withdrawal of life support if they are in an irreversible permanent vegetative state and it is deemed in their "best interest" to do so to preserve their dignity
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