What prevents women from seeking safe, legal abortions? Studies show that the awareness about abortion and its legality is very low among people. To add to the confusion, the implementation of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act, 1994 or PCPNDT Act which makes sex selection illegal gives anti-abortion messages. 

This is the fifth and final episode of a series Matter of Choice, a series that explores how women face medical, legal and social barriers to abortions. Suno India’s Menaka Rao spoke to Saraswati Sahu, a leader with the Chhatisgarh Mahila Mukti Morcha that works on the rights of workers, who talks about her own abortion stories and how she used to feel abortion was illegal, and that she had to undergo abortion surreptitiously. Menaka also talked to Pritam Potdar, the managing director with the Pune-based non-profit, Samyak Communication and Research Centre, which works on gender rights. Menaka also spoke to Vinoj Manning, the CEO of the international non profit Ipas Development Foundation and his colleague, Samina Parveen who works as a specialist in the research and evaluation team at IPAS which recently released a survey on the attitudes of Indians about abortion. 

This podcast is supported by Pulitzer center

References

Trends in selective abortions of girls in India: analysis of nationally representative birth histories from 1990 to 2005 and census data from 1991 to 2011 - PubMed

Pre-Conception & Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act, 1994 | India Code

At 914, child sex ratio is the lowest since Independence - The Hindu

https://www.masum-india.org.in/images/Sex%20selection%20and%20safe%20abortion.pdf

Doctors wary of conducting abortions after 12 weeks | Mumbai news - Hindustan Times

Illegal sale of abortion pills: Drug inspectors raid seven medical stores in Beed | Mumbai News - Times of India

Private detectives to check sex determination tests in Punjab | Chandigarh News - Times of India

Why getting a safe abortion by a registered gynaecologist has become almost impossible

(PDF) " If a woman has even one daughter, I refuse to perform the abortion " : Sex determination and safe abortion in India

(PDF) Evaluating the relative effectiveness of high-intensity and low-intensity models of behaviour change communication interventions for abortion care-seeking in Bihar and Jharkhand, India: A cross-sectional study

Improving care seeking behavior of young women for sexual and reproductive health in Assam and Madhya Pradesh

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How getting an abortion is linked to contraceptive use

How a person seeking abortion is treated often relates to their contraception history. When someone seeks abortion, the health system discriminates against those who take temporary contraceptives or no contraceptives at all. The public health hospitals often deny abortion unless women undergo a permanent sterilisation or at least take a long acting contraceptive such as intrauterine devices.

This is the fourth episode of a series 'Matter of Choice', a series that explores how women face. This podcast explores how these systemic denials and attitudes have classist and casteist implications. Suno India’s Menaka Rao also speaks to women who got pregnant after a sterlisation surgery, which is rare. Despite exhausting all their methods to avoid pregnancy, these women barely get any help when they seek abortion.

medical, legal and social barriers to abortions. This podcast features women from Delhi, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. Menaka speaks to human rights activist and educationist, Shreya Khemani, and labour rights activist, Saraswati Sahu, both of whom are based in Chhattisgarh. Menaka also spoke to Dr Suchitra Dalvie,  gynaecologist and coordinator of Asia Safe Abortion Partnership. 

This podcast is supported by Pulitzer Center. 

References

Mistreatment and Coercion: Unethical Sterilization in India

Men’s Participation in Family Planning & Reproductive Health

Comparative effectiveness of hysteroscopic and laparoscopic sterilization for women: a retrospective cohort study - ScienceDirect

End sterilisation camps, says Supreme Court - The Hindu

India sterilisations: More Chhattisgarh botched cases - BBC News

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This episode explores the barriers faced by women who are pregnant before they turn single, either by widowhood or marital separation, or any other reason. This is the third episode of a series Matter of Choice, a series that explores how women face medical, legal and social barriers to abortions.

In this episode, Menaka Rao speaks with a woman whose husband died when she was pregnant, leaving her to make the tough choice. We discuss the legal precedents in relation to women who sought an abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy when they were either widowed or separated. 

This episode was supported by the Pulitzer Centre.

References

X vs. Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare Department, Govt. of NCT of Delhi and Another

Woman asks to terminate 22-week pregnancy as she wants divorce, Delhi HC seeks medical report

Mrs B vs Union of India Oct 2023

R vs Union of India 23 JANUARY, 2024 

Poonam Sharma vs Union Of India on 9 October, 2023

Human rights including a supportive framework of law and policy (1.3.1) - Abortion care guideline

 

 

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This is the second episode of a series Matter of Choice, a series that explores how women face medical, legal and social barriers to abortions. This episode is based in Delhi where despite facilities, women are given a run-around for abortions. In this episode, Menaka Rao speaks to three women who had a hard time seeking abortion in the country’s capital. These women were either treated with disrespect, or asked for very hefty fees in the private sector, often with very little assurance that the provider will provide abortion. Menaka speaks to these women at the non-profit Parivar Seva Sanstha which provides them with safe, affordable abortion care. The NGO has clinics in 11 states of India, including Delhi. Menaka also speaks with Neelam Rao who runs its clinics in Delhi. 

This podcast is supported by Pulitzer Centre

References

 Parivar Seva Sanstha

https://nhm.gov.in/images/pdf/programmes/maternal-health/guidelines/CAC_Training_&_Service_Guidelines_2023.pdf

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Abortion is legal in India with certain conditions. But it is  hard to access in many parts of the country, especially in rural India. An estimated eight women die everyday from abortions in India. This series called - Matter of Choice- will explore how women face medical, legal and social  barriers to abortion.

In this first episode, Menaka Rao goes to villages in Azamgarh where women have little or no options for legal abortions. Blind alley abortions are common, with unqualified doctors or quacks offering abortion, putting the women’s lives at risk. What is it like to undergo such a risky abortion procedure? Menaka speaks with three women who underwent these procedures and hears their stories. 

This podcast was supported by the Pulitzer Center

If you want to listen to the voices of the women in Hindi, here is the link

Show notes

Gramin Punarnirman Sansthan
Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Act of 2021
Abortion: Safety
Clinical practice handbook for quality abortion care
https://prsindia.org/files/bills_acts/bills_parliament/2020/Medical%20Termination%20of%20Pregnancy%20(Amendment)%20Rules,%202021.pdf
The incidence of abortion and unintended pregnancy in India, 2015 - The Lancet Global Health

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It has been more than a year since the Supreme court released Narayan Chetanram Chaudhary in March 2023. Narayan was convicted along with his co-accused for gruesome murders in Pune and sentenced to death. But after 28 years of jail, the Supreme court released him as per the Juvenile Justice Act after it was proved that he was just 12 years old at the time of offence. 

How is he coping with life outside jail? In this podcast, Menaka Rao visited him in his village in Bikaner to understand how Narayan is managing life in society.

 

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Punjabis are infamous for their obsession with migrating abroad, especially to Canada. There’s a saying among diaspora Punjabis that goes, “Jitthe assi, utthe Punjab,” meaning “We create Punjab wherever we go.” But, in the recent past, a new narrative of ‘Vatan vaapsi’ or ‘Reverse Migration’ has taken hold in Punjabi media. According to podcasts and some news articles, Punjabis are sick of living abroad and are excited to return to their homeland. 

In this episode, Kudrat Wadhwa investigates how much truth there is to the claim that Punjabis are returning to India and why people are coming back, if they are. 

References: 

Is a waning Canadian dream fuelling reverse migration in Punjab?

91% Parents ‘satisfied’ Over Their Wards Moving Abroad, Says Study | Chandigarh News - Times of India

Back to Motherland | Reverse Migration | Part 6 | EP 68 | Punjabi Podcast

Punjabi Students Becoming Homeless In Canada | ਕੈਨੇਡਾ ਵਿਚ ਬੇਘਰੇ ਹੋ ਰਹੇ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਸਟੂਡੈਂਟਸ

Homless 6 punjabi munde te ik kudi dekho kime reh rhe ne

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Recently, a father and his son died in Visakhapatnam after their pet dog bit them. Reports say that they did not take the anti-rabies vaccine soon enough.

Rabies is one of the oldest zoonotic diseases. People are often bitten by street dogs, who are present in great numbers in both cities, and villages of the country. With around 60 million free-ranging dogs, India arguably has the biggest population of street dogs in the world. Most of these dogs aren’t vaccinated against rabies. Most of the rabies cases are dog-mediated.

The WHO says that low awareness of the need to seek healthcare after dog bites claims the lives of 55000 people each year globally, mostly in Asia and Africa. True burden of rabies in India is not fully known, but as per given information, it causes 18000 to 20,000 deaths each year. 

This episode was brilliantly reported by Mahima Jain which got a special mention at One World Media's Podcast and Radio Award in 2022. The podcast takes you through the many factors that complicate rabies control and dog welfare in India. 

The episode talks about:

• The link between street dogs and India’s struggles with rabies elimination. 
• The kind of treatment that is effective against rabies, and how the Indian healthcare system poses a challenge in providing effective care for those who contract rabies.
• How India ended up with an overpopulation of street dogs
• Potential barriers in implementing the National Action Plan for Rabies Elimination by 2030

References

Man, son die of rabies after pet dog bites them in Visakhapatnam - The Hindu

Rabies as a Public Health Concern in India—A Historical Perspective

Overview of Animal Laws in India

Centers For Disease Control and Prevention: Global Rabies Work

US National Library of Medicine: Striking back against rabies

Burden of illness of dog-mediated rabies in India: A systematic review

Modelling the challenges of managing free-ranging dog populations

WHO Rabies: Rabies 

News: 

• India sees 1.75 million dog bites every year, yet we face up to 80% shortage of anti-rabies vaccines
• Rabies deaths down by a third in three years in India, but snakebites continue to kill | Health - Hindustan Times
• In the Himalayas, growing population of feral dogs poses threat to wildlife, humans – Firstpost  
• Over 300 dogs poisoned to death by Andhra village panchayat, alleges activist
• 5 doses over days, keep rabies away - The Hindu 

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Owing to the water shortage in Delhi, the state’s Water Minister Atishi began an indefinite fast on June 21 demanding water for the national capital. The Delhi state government said that it has not got its share of Yamuna water, and there is an urgent need for a sustainable solution.

The debate over fair distribution of Yamuna water has persisted for years. This is not the first such inter-state water dispute. In this episode, Suno India’s Sneha Richhariya  speaks to Srinivas Chokkakula, who is the President and Chief Executive of the CPR (Centre for Policy Research). He is the Ministry of Jal Shakti Research Chair for Water Conflicts and Governance at CPR, leading the Transboundary Rivers, Ecologies, and Development studies program that he founded. His research focuses on transboundary water conflict, cooperation, and governance, with extensive publications on these topics. He talks about the legal implications of such disputes, and the politics around it and the possible solutions. 

 

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At least 33 people died in heatwave during the 2024 General Election's last phase in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Odisha. The people who died include polling officials.

The average heat related mortality has increased by 85% in 2013-22 as compared with 1991-2001. Excess heat can cause: 

• Cardiac related illness
• Lung damage
• Kidney injury
• Adverse pregnancy outcome 
• Mental health impact

But often these deaths are not recorded as heat-related deaths or are not accepted by the respective governments or local bodies. 

The National Action Plan on Heat Related Illnesses, 2021 gave detailed guidelines on how to record a suspected heat-related illness death. Recently, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare released a document examining autopsy findings of those who died of heat-related illnesses. This is an attempt by the govt to standardise the approach of confirming such deaths. 

We are replaying last year's episode. In this episode, Suno India's Sneha Richhariya visited a district hospital to understand the challenges of recording a heat-related death. I spoke to Dr. Abhishek Sharma, Emergency Medical Officer at Noida district hospital and Abhiyant Tiwari, lead climate resilience and health consultant at Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). 

References

India heatwave kills at least 33, including election officials - The Economic Times

National Action plan on Heat Related llnesses.pdf

AUTOPSY FINDINGS HEAT RELATED DEATHS

Cause certified in just 22.5% of deaths registered in 2020 | India News

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