NEWS – Recently, the Karnataka Health Department has taken stringent steps to curb illegal sex determination practices under state PCPNDT Act

HIGHLIGHTS

Circular Issued

• No Entry for Attenders: Pregnant women must enter ultrasound rooms alone; no attender or relative allowed.
• Display Boards: All scanning centres and hospitals conducting ultrasound scans must display boards outside, informing about the no-entry policy for attenders.

Female Foeticide Concern

• Recent Racket: A female foeticide racket uncovered in Pandavapura, Mandya district, led to these measures.
• Continued Concern: Despite previous crackdowns on illegal abortions, female foeticide persists.

Purpose of Circular

• PCPNDT Act Implementation: Aimed at effectively implementing the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, 1994.
• Violation Concerns: Attendees at a PCPNDT workshop highlighted violations, including recording ultrasound procedures and sharing gender information.

Action and Direction

• District Authorities: Directed to ensure strict compliance with new rules in all scanning centres.
• Legal Provisions: Cited Sections 4(4) and 5(2) of the PCPNDT Act, prohibiting sex determination and communication of foetal sex.

Emerging Trends and Preventive Measures

• Sharing Videos: Attendees sharing ultrasound videos internationally to determine foetal sex in countries where it is legal.
• Additional Monitors: Prohibited to prevent indirect gender indication during scans.

About PCPNDT Act

• Enactment: Responding to declining sex ratio, the PCPNDT Act, 1994, bans sex selection and misuse of prenatal diagnostic techniques.
• Offences: Includes conducting tests in unregistered units, sex selection, and equipment sale for sex determination.
• Amendments: 2003 amendments expanded act’s scope to cover pre-conception sex selection and enhanced regulatory boards’ powers.