In a major move aimed at easing the distress of grieving families, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak has directed that postmortem procedures must be completed within a maximum of four hours. Recognising the emotional trauma families face while waiting for the bodies of their loved ones, the directive is intended to make the process more humane and efficient. Acting on this instruction, Principal Secretary of the Health Department, Partha Sarthi Sen Sharma has issued new state-wide guidelines to implement this system across all postmortem houses.