Context:
The Supreme Court recently underscored the continued importance of strict enforcement of the PCPNDT Act, 1994, while highlighting the persistence of sex-selection practices and societal preference for male children despite improvements in the child sex ratio.
Explanation:
- The PCPNDT Act, 1994 was enacted to prohibit sex selection before or after conception and to prevent misuse of prenatal diagnostic techniques for determining the sex of the foetus.
- Originally enacted as the Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PNDT) Act, 1994, it was amended in 2003 to include pre-conception sex selection and renamed the PCPNDT Act.
- The Act regulates the use of ultrasonography, genetic counselling centres, genetic laboratories and genetic clinics.
- It prohibits communicating the sex of the foetus to parents and bans advertisements related to sex determination or sex selection.
- The Act provides for registration of diagnostic facilities, inspection, search, seizure and penalties including imprisonment and fines for violations.
- Child Sex Ratio (CSR) refers to the number of girls per 1,000 boys in the 0–6 years age group and is an important indicator of gender equity.
- The Act complements broader constitutional and policy efforts aimed at protecting the girl child, promoting gender equality and addressing demographic imbalances arising from son preference.
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