New Delhi, April 30 -- The Supreme Court on Thursday held that a minor cannot be forced to bear a pregnancy and suggested that the Central government should amend the existing laws to allow medical terminations beyond the 20-week deadline. The SC bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi made the ruling in a plea filed by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) seeking to set aside the apex court order allowing a 15-year-old girl to medically terminate her 30-week pregnancy.

The SC, while rejecting the plea, said the Central government should amend the law to permit rape survivors to terminate unwanted pregnancies even beyond 20 weeks.

"Please amend your law that when there is pregnancy due to rape etc, t...