Lok Sabha Question No. 2559 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-03-17
Subject: Female Foeticide
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: SHIVKUMAR CHANABASAPPA UDASI, PRATHAP SIMHA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2559 TO BE ANSWERED ON 17 TH MARCH, 2017

## FEMALE FOETICIDE

## 2559. SHRI SHIVKUMAR UDASI: SHRI PRATHAP SIMHA:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the cases of female foeticide have increased in the country during the last t and the current year and if so, the details thereof, State/ UT - wise and the reasons th erefor;
- (b) whether the Government has worked out any multi - pronged strategy entailing schemes and awareness  generation/  advocacy  measures  to  build  a  positive  environment  for  the  girl through gender sensitive policies, provisions and legislation; and
- (c) i f so, the details with result thereof?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL )

- (a) : As per the information received from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), NCRB has started collecting data on female foeticides since 2014 and as reported by NCRB, a total of 50  foeticides  were  reported  in  2014  and  45  foeticides  were  reported  in  2015  in  the  c showing a decrease of 10% in female foeticides during 2015 over 2014. State/UT - wise such data is en closed as Annexure - I.

Some of the reasons for female foeticide are son preference and the belief that it is only the son who can perform the last rites, that lineage and inheritance runs through the ma sons  will  look  after  parents  in  old  age,  men  are  the  bread  winners  etc.  Exorbitant demand is another r eason for female foeticide/infanticide.  Small family norm coupled wit easy availability of sex determination tests may be a catalyst in the declining child s further facilitated by easy availability of Pre - conception and pre - natal sex selection facilities.

- (b)  &  (c) : The  Government  has  enacted  the  Pre - conception  and  Pre - natal  Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, 1994, for prohibition of sex selection b after  conception  and  for  prevention  of  misuse  of  pre - conceptionand  pre - natal  diagnostic techniques for sex determination.

Contd…….

The  Government  of  India  besides  enactment  of  the  Pre - conception  and  Pre - natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, 1994, has adopted a multi - pronged strategy entailing schemes and programmes for awareness generation and advocacy measures to build a positive environment for the girl child through gender sensitive policies, provi legislation. The details  of important measures taken by Government of India are at Annexure -II.

As  per  the  quarterly  progress  report  (QPR)  received  from  States/  UTs,  a  tota 56079 facilities have been registered under the Act. A total of 2316 court cases have be by the District Appropriate Authorities for violating the provisions of the PC &PNDT Act, out of which 294 cases have been filed against unregistered diagnostic centres and 1683 machines been sealed/seized. A total of 388 convictions have been secured under PC&PNDT Act, 199 Following  the  convictions,  the  medical  licenses  of  10 8  doctors  have  been  suspended  by  the various  State  Medical  Councils. Further,  all  these  have  been  secured  through  strong implementation of the Act/Rules.

………………

Annexure-I Cases Registered under Female Foeticide during 2014 - 2015

| S. No.   | States/UTs          |   2014 |   2015 |
|----------|---------------------|--------|--------|
| 1        | ANDHRA PRADESH      |      0 |      0 |
| 2        | ARUNACHAL PRADESH   |      0 |      0 |
| 3        | ASSAM               |      0 |      0 |
| 4        | BIHAR               |      0 |      0 |
| 5        | CHHATTISGARH        |      2 |      3 |
| 6        | GOA                 |      0 |      0 |
| 7        | GUJARAT             |      0 |      0 |
| 8        | HARYANA             |      4 |     10 |
| 9        | HIMACHAL PRADESH    |      3 |      0 |
| 10       | JAMMU & KASHMIR     |      0 |      0 |
| 11       | JHARKHAND           |      0 |      0 |
| 12       | KARNATAKA           |      0 |      0 |
| 13       | KERALA              |      0 |      0 |
| 14       | MADHYA PRADESH      |     15 |      8 |
| 15       | MAHARASHTRA         |      1 |      5 |
| 16       | MANIPUR             |      0 |      0 |
| 17       | MEGHALAYA           |      0 |      0 |
| 18       | MIZORAM             |      0 |      0 |
| 19       | NAGALAND            |      0 |      0 |
| 20       | ODISHA              |      0 |      0 |
| 21       | PUNJAB              |      7 |      6 |
| 22       | RAJASTHAN           |     11 |      4 |
| 23       | SIKKIM              |      0 |      0 |
| 24       | TAMIL NADU          |      0 |      0 |
| 25       | TELANGANA           |      2 |      2 |
| 26       | TRIPURA             |      0 |      0 |
| 27       | UTTAR PRADESH       |      4 |      6 |
| 28       | UTTARAKHAND         |      1 |      0 |
| 29       | WEST BENGAL         |      0 |      0 |
|          | TOTAL (STATES)      |     50 |     44 |
| 30       | A&N ISLANDS         |      0 |      0 |
| 31       | CHANDIGARH          |      0 |      0 |
| 32       | D&N HAVELI          |      0 |      0 |
| 33       | DAMAN & DIU         |      0 |      0 |
| 34       | DELHI               |      0 |      1 |
| 35       | LAKSHADWEEP         |      0 |      0 |
| 36       | PUDUCHERRY          |      0 |      0 |
|          | TOTAL (UTs)         |      0 |      1 |
|          | TOTAL (ALL - INDIA) |     50 |     45 |

Source: Crime in India

## Annexure - II

- The Government has intensified effective implementation of the Pre - conception and Pre - natal Diagnostic  Techniques  (Prohibition  of  Sex  Selection)  Act,  1994  and  amended  various provisions of the Rules.
- The Government is rendering financial support to the States and UTs for operationalizati PNDT  Cells,  Capacity  Building,  Orientation  &  Sensitisation  Workshop,  Information, Education and Communication campaigns and for strengthening structures for the i mplementation of the PC & PNDT Act under the National Health Mission (NHM).
- Regular reviews of the implementation of the PC & PNDT Act by the States/UTs are done by MoHFW. Capacity Building Programme for State Appropriate Authorities and State Nodal Office rs is organized periodically.
- A comprehensive Standard Operating Guidelines (SOGs) for District Appropriate Authority has  been  prepared  by  Ministry  of  Health  &  Family  Welfare  for  better  clarity  f implementation of the PC&PNDT Act.
- Program review at the s tate level has been intensified.  During 2015 - 16 five regional review workshops  have  been  organized  for  Northern  Eastern,  Northern,  Eastern,  Western  and Southern  States  in  Imphal,  Chandigarh,  Bhubaneswar  and  Hyderabad  (two)  respectively. During 2016 - 17 fou r regional review workshops have been organized for Northern, Western, Eastern and North - Eastern States in Lucknow, Jaipur, Thiruvananthapuram and Kolkata.
- Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (BBBP) was launched as one of the flagship programmes of the Government, to address the declining Child Sex Ratio and related issues of empowerment of women on a life - cycle  continuum.  It is a tri - ministerial, convergent effort of Ministries of Women  and Child  Development, Health  &  Family Welfare and  Human Resource Development  wit h  a  focus  on  awareness  and  advocacy  campaign  for  changing  mindsets, multi - sectoral action in select 100+61 districts (low on CSR), enabling girls' educatio effective enforcement of Pre - Conception & Pre Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC&PNDT) Act.
- Direct ions given by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in the matter of WP(C) 349/2006 (Voluntary Health Association of Punjab vs. UOI & others), were communicated to the States/ UTs f ensuring compliance.
- Inspections by the National Inspection and Monitoring Committee (NIMC) have been scaled up.  During 2015 - 16  and  2016 - 17,  31  NIMC  inspections have been undertaken in various States.
- The Government has also set up a Nodal Agency to regulate and remove the e -advertisements on  internet  relating  to  preconception  and  prenat al  determination  of  sex  or  sex  selection, prohibited under the PC&PNDT Act, 1994 as per the directions of Hon'ble Supreme Court vide order dated 16.11.2016 in Writ Petition (Civil) No. 341 of 2008.
- The  orientation  and  sensitisation  of  judiciary  has  been  co nducted  through  National  Judicial Academy.  A  two  day  orientation  and  sensitisation  of  judiciary  was  organised  by  Nati Judicial Academy on 4th & 5th February, 2017 in Bhopal.
- States have been advised to focus on Districts/Blocks/Villages with low Child Sex Ratio to ascertain  the  causes,  plan  appropriate  behaviour  change  communication  campaigns  and effectively implement provisions of the PC & PNDT Act.