UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — SC praises decision by kin to donate Harish Rana’s organs

Q1. Which one of the following was the first Supreme Court judgment to declare the 'right to die with dignity' a fundamental right under Article 21 and to uphold the legal validity of advance directives (living wills)?

  • A. Gian Kaur v. State of Punjab (1996)
  • B. Aruna Shanbaug v. Union of India (2011)
  • C. Common Cause v. Union of India (2018)
  • D. Harish Rana v. Union of India (2026)

Q2. The Common Cause v. Union of India (2018) judgment recognising the right to die with dignity was delivered by a Constitution Bench comprising how many judges?

  • A. Three
  • B. Five
  • C. Seven
  • D. Nine

Q3. Under the framework governing deceased organ donation in India, 'brain-stem death' is most precisely defined as which one of the following?

  • A. Irreversible cessation of all brain-stem functions, demonstrated twice six hours apart by a board of four medical experts
  • B. Permanent loss of consciousness while the heart and lungs continue to function without any external support
  • C. Stoppage of the heartbeat and circulation certified by a single treating physician
  • D. A persistent vegetative state lasting continuously for more than six months

Q4. With reference to the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act, 1994 and its 2011 amendment, consider the following statements: 1. The 2011 amendment widened the definition of 'near relative' to additionally include grandparents and grandchildren. 2. The 2011 amendment permits a surgeon/physician and an anaesthetist to substitute on the brain-death certification board when an approved neurologist or neurosurgeon is unavailable. 3. The original 1994 Act, unlike the 2011 amendment, permitted commercial dealings in human organs. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The 2011 amendment widened the definition of 'near relative' to additionally include grandparents and grandchildren.
  2. The 2011 amendment permits a surgeon/physician and an anaesthetist to substitute on the brain-death certification board when an approved neurologist or neurosurgeon is unavailable.
  3. The original 1994 Act, unlike the 2011 amendment, permitted commercial dealings in human organs.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q5. Pursuant to the Supreme Court's March 2026 order in the Harish Rana case, he was shifted to and subsequently passed away in the palliative care unit of which institution?

  • A. AIIMS, New Delhi
  • B. PGIMER, Chandigarh
  • C. Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi
  • D. RML Hospital, New Delhi

Q6. With reference to the 2026 Harish Rana v. Union of India matter, consider the following: 1. Rana was the petitioner who had remained in a persistent vegetative state following a diffuse axonal brain injury. 2. His injury resulted from a fall in 2013 that left him with quadriplegia and 100% disability. 3. The organs donated by his family after his death were his corneas and heart valves. 4. The case was decided by a bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and Ashok Bhushan. Which of the statements given above are correctly identified?

  1. Rana was the petitioner who had remained in a persistent vegetative state following a diffuse axonal brain injury.
  2. His injury resulted from a fall in 2013 that left him with quadriplegia and 100% disability.
  3. The organs donated by his family after his death were his corneas and heart valves.
  4. The case was decided by a bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and Ashok Bhushan.
  • A. 1, 2 and 4
  • B. 1, 2 and 3 only
  • C. 2, 3 and 4
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q7. In Indian constitutional jurisprudence, the 'right to die with dignity' has been judicially read into which one of the following provisions of the Constitution?

  • A. Article 19
  • B. Article 21
  • C. Article 14
  • D. Article 25

Q8. As per the Supreme Court's 2023 modification of the living-will guidelines, an advance medical directive must now be attested by which one of the following?

  • A. A notary or a gazetted officer
  • B. Only a Judicial Magistrate of First Class
  • C. The Chief District Medical Officer
  • D. The District Collector

Q9. Consider the following statements regarding forms of end-of-life care in India: 1. In the Harish Rana case the Supreme Court held that Clinically Assisted Nutrition and Hydration constitutes a form of medical treatment capable of being withdrawn. 2. Active euthanasia, unlike passive euthanasia, involves the deliberate administration of a lethal substance and remains impermissible in India. 3. Passive euthanasia was first judicially sanctioned in India by the Aruna Shanbaug bench headed by Justice J.B. Pardiwala. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. In the Harish Rana case the Supreme Court held that Clinically Assisted Nutrition and Hydration constitutes a form of medical treatment capable of being withdrawn.
  2. Active euthanasia, unlike passive euthanasia, involves the deliberate administration of a lethal substance and remains impermissible in India.
  3. Passive euthanasia was first judicially sanctioned in India by the Aruna Shanbaug bench headed by Justice J.B. Pardiwala.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q10. In the context of end-of-life care, 'active euthanasia' is most precisely defined as which one of the following?

  • A. The intentional ending of a patient's life by the deliberate administration of a lethal substance
  • B. The withdrawal of a ventilator or feeding support so that death follows naturally
  • C. The refusal by a competent patient of any further curative treatment
  • D. The provision of pain relief in a palliative-care setting without hastening death

Q11. With reference to India's organ-donation architecture and its current status, consider the following: 1. NOTTO functions as the apex national body, with ROTTOs at the regional and SOTTOs at the state level. 2. NOTTO functions under the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. 3. In 2025, around 18% of transplants performed in India used organs retrieved from deceased donors. 4. Organs retrieved from a brain-dead donor must be harvested within 48 hours of certification. Which of the statements given above are correctly identified?

  1. NOTTO functions as the apex national body, with ROTTOs at the regional and SOTTOs at the state level.
  2. NOTTO functions under the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
  3. In 2025, around 18% of transplants performed in India used organs retrieved from deceased donors.
  4. Organs retrieved from a brain-dead donor must be harvested within 48 hours of certification.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3 only
  • B. 1 and 4 only
  • C. 2, 3 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q12. In biomedical ethics, the principle of 'non-maleficence' primarily refers to which one of the following?

  • A. The obligation not to inflict harm on the patient ('do no harm')
  • B. The duty to act positively in the patient's best interest
  • C. Respect for the patient's right to self-determination
  • D. The equitable distribution of scarce medical resources