Rajya Sabha passed the Mental Health Care Bill, in an attempt to make Suicide bids not liable to punishment.
As of now, Suicide attempt is being treated as a criminal offence. A case under Section 309 of IPC (1 Year Punishment or Fine, or Both) can been booked against those who try to kill themselves.
Mental Health Care Bill decriminalizes suicide bid. It proposes treatment and rehabilitation for suicide survivors. From now, People trying to take the extreme step will be treated as those suffering from severe stress rather than mental illness.
Health Minister JP Nadda told guidelines of the Mental Health Care Bill will be framed after Lok Sabha approves it. He described the passage of the patient-centric Bill as historic and its an attempt to provide better health care. He also informed that 1 to 2% and 6 to 7% of country's population suffer from acute mental diseases and mental illness.