As Maharashtra upholds right to die with dignity, why other states should too

Key points

• Maharashtra has become India’s first state to formally set up a ‘living will’ portal, allowing citizens to make end-of-life decisions according to their preferences and belief systems.
• The state, on April 7, introduced a structured mechanism for registration and preservation of living wills across urban and local bodies, including municipal corporations and municipal councils.
• Accordingly, a digital portal, called MahaULB, was also launched for the registration, verification and storage of living wills.
• Jatin Popat, founder of WillJini.com, says that just as people plan for their wealth and estate via a normal will used after death, a living will allows an individual to decide how they wish to die if their medical condition is beyond recovery.
• Since end-of-life decisions are among the hardest to make, he adds that Maharashtra’s move will facilitate some ambiguities and procedural aspects surrounding the execution part by a Guardian of Living Will.