How do you make a living will? episode artwork

EPISODE · Mar 27, 2026 · 24 MIN

How do you make a living will?

from In Focus by The Hindu · host The Hindu

The Supreme Court’s recent verdict in the case of Harish Rana, allowing for the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment, as the 32-year-old had been in a persistent vegetative state for over a decade is a landmark judgement. It builds upon the framework of the Court’s own 2018 Constitution Bench guidelines, and it upheld the right to die with dignity. Following this, there has been a lot of discussion about advanced medical directives or living wills, documents in which people can set out how they would like to be cared for, in the event of a terminal illness or in a situation where they cannot decide for themselves. So, what exactly is a living will? What do you need to do before you make one? And how do you go about making one? Guest: Dr M R Rajagopal, chairman Emeritus of Pallium India and Adjunct Professor of Global Oncology, Queen’s University, Canada Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Supreme Court’s recent verdict in the case of Harish Rana, allowing for the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment, as the 32-year-old had been in a persistent vegetative state for over a decade is a landmark judgement. It builds upon the framework of the Court’s own 2018 Constitution Bench guidelines, and it upheld the right to die with dignity. Following this, there has been a lot of discussion about advanced medical directives or living wills, documents in which people can set out how they would like to be cared for, in the event of a terminal illness or in a situation where they cannot decide for themselves. So, what exactly is a living will? What do you need to do before you make one? And how do you go about making one? Guest: Dr M R Rajagopal, chairman Emeritus of Pallium India and Adjunct Professor of Global Oncology, Queen’s University, Canada Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

NOW PLAYING

How do you make a living will?

0:00 24:30

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of In Focus by The Hindu?

This episode is 24 minutes long.

When was this In Focus by The Hindu episode published?

This episode was published on March 27, 2026.

What is this episode about?

The Supreme Court’s recent verdict in the case of Harish Rana, allowing for the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment, as the 32-year-old had been in a persistent vegetative state for over a decade is a landmark judgement. It builds upon the...

Can I download this In Focus by The Hindu episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!