Wednesday, October 13, 2010

In the news: Legislation with respect to sex selection

Make laws against pre-natal sex selection more stringent: Vyas

Tue, Oct 12 04:06 PM

New Delhi, Oct 12 (PTI) The national commissions for women and human rights today voiced serious concern over the decline in ratio of girls to boys and suggested making laws more stringent to check pre-natal sex selection and female foeticide in the country. "Sex ratio is declining in the country every year due to female foeticide.

We had suggested certain amendments in the Pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques (prohibition of sex selection) Act, 1994, three years ago but nothing has so far been done.

The Act should be more stringent," Chairperson of National Commission for Women Girija Vyas said. She was addressing a conference organised jointly by National Human Rights Commission and National Commission for Women on ''Pre-natal sex selection in India:Issues, Concerns and action''.

Vyas noted that "abortion is allowed in extraordinary situation but there is no such distinction (in practice). Not a single state, even Kerala, is spared (where incidents of female foeticide do not occur).

" Practice of female foeticide is still continuing in many states including several districts of Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat and Rajasthan. None of the health clinics have been found to be "upto the mark" even in the national capital, she said.

Addresing the conference, NHRC chairperson Justice K G Balakrishnan lamented that there is no law in the country to address the basic regulatory requirements for opening a hospital. "Unfortunately in India, there are no effective provision for opening a clinic, a health centre, even a hospital.

There is no law to address the basic things, fundamental (regulatory) requirements for opening a hospital," he said.

No comments:

Post a Comment