India, April 16 -- New Delhi

The Delhi High Court permitted the extraction and cryopreservation of sperm of an Indian Army soldier in a persistent vegetative state, holding that his prior consent to undergo IVF treatment with his wife amounted to valid consent under the law.

Citing "Srimad Bhagavatam", a bench of justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav, in a verdict released on Wednesday, observed that the right to reproductive autonomy is a fundamental right and that the law- Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021-must be interpreted in a manner that advances, rather than restricts, this right.

"Section 22 of the ART Act, thus, provides the mere procedure to address the broader, more fundamental problem, which is being face...