Lok Sabha Question No. 5052 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-12-16
Subject: Pre-Natal Sex Determination
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: GEETHA KOTHAPALLI, PREM DAS RAI, G. HARI

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5052 TO BE ANSWERED ON 16 TH DECEMBER , 2016

## PRE -NATAL SEX DETERMINAT ION

## 5052. SHRIMATI KOTHAPALLI GEETHA:

## SHRI PREM DAS RAI:

SHRI G. HARI:

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

- (a) whether the Supreme Court had directed the Union Government to constitute a nodal agency to  monitor  and trigger  search  engines  to  crack  down  on onlinepre - natal  sex  determination advertisements, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the nodal agency is required to receive complaints about illegal online advertisement under the Pre - Conceptionand Pre - Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act of 1994 and communic ate the tip - offs to online search engines like Google, Yahoo and Microsoft, which would delete these advertisements within 36 hours of getting the information, if so, the details thereof;
- (c)  the  steps  taken  by  the  Government to  constitute  a  nodal  agency which  would give advertisements on TV, radio and in newspapers;
- (d) the details of inspections conducted at clinics/hospitals/medical centres for ultra - sonography for the last three years;
- (e) whether the Union Government has taken action against several medicalprofessionals against female foeticide, if so, the details thereof;
- (f) whether the Government is aware that several State Governments have filed cases against such doctors, if so, the details thereof; and
- (g)  the  steps  taken  to  counsel  families against  female  foeticide  and  infanticide details  of trainings/education camps conducted in this regard?

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

- (a): Yes,  Hon'ble  Supreme  Court  vide  its  order  dated 16.11.2016 in WP 341 of 2008 has directed the Union of India to constitute a Nodal Agency to  monitor and trigger search to crack down on online pre - natal sex determination advertisements.

(b): Yes, As per the directions of Hon'ble Supreme Court vide its order dated 16.11.2016 in WP 341 of 2008,  anybody who comes across anything in nature of the advertisement which h the impact of identifying the sex of foetus shall be brought to the notice of the Nodal Ag same shall be intimated to th e concerned search engines by the Nodal Agency which shall be removed/ deleted within 36 hours and compliance shall be intimated to the Nodal Agency.

(c): The Union Government is required to comply with the directions of the Hon'ble Supreme Court vide its order dated 16.11.2016 in WP 341 of 2008.

(d): As  per  information  received  from  States/UTs,  the  State/UT - wise  details  of  inspection conducted  under  the  Pre - conception  and  Pre - natal  Diagnostic  Techniques  (Prohibition  of  Sex Selection) Act, 1994 is at Annexu re - I.

(e )& (f): The Government of India 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 - conception  and  pre - natal  di agnostic techniques for sex determination. The responsibility of implementation of the Act lies wi UT Governments, including taking action against medical Professionals for the offences o selection /sex determination. As per the quarterly pro gress report (QPR) received from States/ UTs,  a  total  of  2352  court  cases  have  been  filed  by  the  District  Appropriate  Authorit violating  the  provisions  of  the  PC&PNDT  Act.  386  convictions  have  been  secured  unde PC&PNDT Act, the medical licenses of 108 doctors have been suspended by the various State Medical Councils, following convictions. State wise details are at Annexure -II

(g): Financial support to the States and UTs for Orientation & Sensitisation Workshop Information, Education & Commun ication campaigns for the implementation of the PC & PNDT Act under the National Health Mission (NHM).

| State wise number of premises Inspected under PC&PNDT Act   | State wise number of premises Inspected under PC&PNDT Act   | State wise number of premises Inspected under PC&PNDT Act   |
|-------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|
| S. No.                                                      | (Up to State/UT                                             | September, 2016) No. of Premises Inspected                  |
| 1                                                           | Andhra Pradesh                                              | 7904                                                        |
| 2                                                           | Arunachal Pradesh                                           | 22                                                          |
| 3                                                           | Assam                                                       | 3307                                                        |
| 4                                                           | Bihar                                                       | 1564                                                        |
| 5                                                           | Chhattisgarh                                                | 361                                                         |
| 6                                                           | Goa                                                         | 753                                                         |
| 7                                                           | Gujarat                                                     | 463                                                         |
| 8                                                           | Haryana                                                     | 24626                                                       |
| 9                                                           | Himachal Pradesh                                            | 223                                                         |
| 10                                                          | Jammu & Kashmir                                             | 1266                                                        |
| 11                                                          | Jharkhand                                                   | 1024                                                        |
| 12                                                          | Karnataka                                                   | 2281                                                        |
| 13                                                          | Kerala                                                      | 987                                                         |
| 14                                                          | Madhya Pradesh                                              | 4608                                                        |
| 15                                                          | Maharashtra                                                 | 145918                                                      |
| 16                                                          | Manipur                                                     | 229                                                         |
| 17                                                          | Meghalaya                                                   | 26                                                          |
| 18                                                          | Mizoram                                                     | Nil                                                         |
| 19                                                          | Nagaland                                                    | 2                                                           |
| 20                                                          | Odisha                                                      | 2449                                                        |
| 21                                                          | Punjab                                                      | 36549                                                       |
| 22                                                          | Rajasthan                                                   | 9978                                                        |
| 23                                                          | Sikkim                                                      | 40                                                          |
| 24                                                          | Tamil Nadu                                                  | 12457                                                       |
| 25                                                          | Telangana                                                   | 4237                                                        |
| 26                                                          | Tripura                                                     | 71                                                          |
| 27                                                          | Uttarakhand                                                 | 2301                                                        |
| 28                                                          | Uttar Pradesh                                               | 21010                                                       |
| 29                                                          | West Bengal                                                 | 5350                                                        |
| 30                                                          | A & N. Island                                               | 4                                                           |
| 31                                                          | Chandigarh                                                  | 1255                                                        |
| 32                                                          | D. & N. Haveli                                              | 15                                                          |
| 33                                                          | Daman & Diu                                                 | 9                                                           |
| 34                                                          | Delhi                                                       | 6188                                                        |
| 35                                                          | Lakshadweep                                                 | 3                                                           |
| 36                                                          | Puducherry                                                  | 171                                                         |
|                                                             | Total                                                       | 297651                                                      |

| Annexure-II                                                              | Annexure-II                                                              | Annexure-II                                                              | Annexure-II                                                              | Annexure-II                                                              |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| State wise status of implementation of the PC&PNDT Act as September 2016 | State wise status of implementation of the PC&PNDT Act as September 2016 | State wise status of implementation of the PC&PNDT Act as September 2016 | State wise status of implementation of the PC&PNDT Act as September 2016 | State wise status of implementation of the PC&PNDT Act as September 2016 |
| S. No.                                                                   | States/ UTs                                                              | No. of ongoing                                                           | CourtConvictions                                                         | Medical licenses suspended                                               |
| 1                                                                        | Andhra Pradesh                                                           | 12                                                                       | 0                                                                        | 0                                                                        |
| 2                                                                        | Arunachal Pradesh                                                        | 0                                                                        | 0                                                                        | 0                                                                        |
| 3                                                                        | Assam                                                                    | 5                                                                        | 0                                                                        | 0                                                                        |
| 4                                                                        | Bihar                                                                    | 129                                                                      | 1                                                                        | 0                                                                        |
| 5                                                                        | Chhattisgarh                                                             | 9                                                                        | 0                                                                        | 0                                                                        |
| 6                                                                        | Goa                                                                      | 1                                                                        | 0                                                                        | 0                                                                        |
| 7                                                                        | Gujarat                                                                  | 0                                                                        | 15                                                                       | 1                                                                        |
| 8                                                                        | Haryana                                                                  | 182                                                                      | 66                                                                       | 14                                                                       |
| 9                                                                        | Himachal Pradesh                                                         | 1                                                                        | 1                                                                        | 0                                                                        |
| 10                                                                       | Jammu & Kashmir                                                          | 6                                                                        | 1                                                                        | 0                                                                        |
| 11                                                                       | Jharkhand                                                                | 22                                                                       | 0                                                                        | 0                                                                        |
| 12                                                                       | Karnataka                                                                | 67                                                                       | 0                                                                        | 0                                                                        |
| 13                                                                       | Kerala                                                                   | -                                                                        | 0                                                                        | 0                                                                        |
| 14                                                                       | Madhya Pradesh                                                           | 44                                                                       | 2                                                                        | 2                                                                        |
| 15                                                                       | Maharashtra                                                              | 567                                                                      | 84                                                                       | 68                                                                       |
| 16                                                                       | Manipur                                                                  | 0                                                                        | 0                                                                        | 0                                                                        |
| 17                                                                       | Meghalaya                                                                | -                                                                        | 0                                                                        | 0                                                                        |
| 18                                                                       | Mizoram                                                                  | 0                                                                        | 0                                                                        | 0                                                                        |
| 19                                                                       | Nagaland                                                                 | 0                                                                        | 0                                                                        | 0                                                                        |
| 20                                                                       | Odisha                                                                   | 62                                                                       | 3                                                                        | 0                                                                        |
| 21                                                                       | Punjab                                                                   | 193                                                                      | 31                                                                       | 1                                                                        |
| 22                                                                       | Rajasthan                                                                | 634                                                                      | 137                                                                      | 21                                                                       |
| 23                                                                       | Sikkim                                                                   | 0                                                                        | 0                                                                        | 0                                                                        |
| 24                                                                       | Tamil Nadu                                                               | 91                                                                       | 18                                                                       | 0                                                                        |
| 25                                                                       | Telengana                                                                | 32                                                                       | 1                                                                        | 0                                                                        |
| 26                                                                       | Tripura                                                                  | -                                                                        | 0                                                                        | 0                                                                        |
| 27                                                                       | Uttarakhand                                                              | 48                                                                       | 1                                                                        | 0                                                                        |
| 28                                                                       | Uttar Pradesh                                                            | 139                                                                      | 8                                                                        | 1                                                                        |
| 29                                                                       | West Bengal                                                              | 13                                                                       | 0                                                                        | 0                                                                        |
| 30                                                                       | A & N. Island                                                            | -                                                                        | 0                                                                        | 0                                                                        |
| 31                                                                       | Chandigarh                                                               | 1                                                                        | 0                                                                        | 0                                                                        |
| 32                                                                       | D. & N. Haveli                                                           | -                                                                        | 0                                                                        | 0                                                                        |
| 33                                                                       | Daman & Diu                                                              | -                                                                        | 0                                                                        | 0                                                                        |
| 34                                                                       | Delhi                                                                    | 93                                                                       | 17                                                                       | 0                                                                        |
| 35                                                                       | Lakshadweep                                                              | -                                                                        | 0                                                                        | 0                                                                        |
| 36                                                                       | Puducherry                                                               | 1                                                                        | 0                                                                        | 0                                                                        |
| TOTAL                                                                    | TOTAL                                                                    | 2352                                                                     | 386                                                                      | 108                                                                      |