Vasectomy on speech-impaired tribal youth performed without consent: NHRC requests a report from the Odisha government

The government of Odisha has been asked for an Action Taken Report (ATR) over a vasectomy that was reportedly done on an unmarried tribal adolescent who has speech impairments without his permission. According to reports, the Commission requested that the state government’s department of health and family welfare submit an ATR within four weeks after receiving a petition from human rights advocate and attorney Radhakant Tripathy.

The petitioner claimed that the young man underwent the sterilisation procedure at Mathili Sub-divisional Hospital in the tribal-dominated Malkangiri district in order to draw attention to the rising number of vasectomies in the region. The petitioner claimed that even though the procedure was performed based on a report from an Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) worker, the victim’s permission was not obtained. She asked the NHRC to become involved and to provide the victim with sufficient compensation.

After admitting the matter, the NHRC ordered the Malkangiri District Collector and Principal Secretary of the Health and Family Welfare Department of Odisha to submit an ATR within four weeks.