ET Government: Right To Health Or Right To Privacy?
Is Right to Health superior to Right to Privacy?
ET Government, Dhananjay Suri, 12 June 2020
(Image courtesy of ET Government)
As societies become more aware, issues such as privacy become a matter of concern. In Justice K.S. Puttaswamy & Anr vs Union of India & Ors., the honourable Supreme Court held that “The right to privacy is protected as an intrinsic part of the right to life and personal liberty under Article 21 and as a part of the freedoms guaranteed by Part III of the Constitution.”
As an aftermath of this pandemic, the world, including India will have very little option but to work towards strengthening its health infrastructure and invest in medical innovation. With social distancing becoming a way of life, we can expect some new approaches to policymaking. However, these are also likely to bring forth newer challenges and debates on the fundamentals of policymaking and rights issues. As things stand, many conversations around Right to Privacy vis à vis Right to Health are bound to arise in the near future.
