Lok Sabha Question No. 3882 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-03-24
Subject: PNDT Act
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: BHOLA SINGH, ELUMALAI VELLAIGOUNDER, VINCENT H PALA

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3882 TO BE ANSWERED ON 24 th MARCH, 2017

## PNDT ACT

## 3882. DR. BHOLA SINGH: SHRI V. ELUMALAI: SHRI VINCENT H. PALA:

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

(a) whether the Government is aware of a study by the Lancet (2012), according to which 12 million sex selective abortions have been conducted in India over the last three decades, if so, measures the Government intends to implement to curb sex selective abortions;

(b) the number of cases that have been registered under PNDT Act in the country, State/UT wise;

(c) whether unsafe abortions are a leading cause for increase in maternal mortality rates, if so, steps taken by the Government to reduce unsafe abortions in the country; country went on a indefinite strike against what they termed were unreasonable provisions of the Pre - Conception and Pre -Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) A ct, if so, the details thereof; and

(e) whether the Government has agreed to review the matter in the larger interest of public and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## (SMT. ANUPRIYA PAT EL )

(a): No. However, 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 - conception  and  pre - nata l  diagnostic techniques for sex determination.

( b) : As per the quarterly progress report (QPR) received from States/ UTs, a total of 2316 cases have been filed by the District Appropriate Authorities for violating the provisio PC&PNDT Act and Rules.  State/UT - wise su ch data is enclosed as Annexure.

( c) : As  per  Sample  Registration  System  (2001 - 03),  Registrar  General  of  India,  unsafe abortion is reported to be the third largest cause for maternal mortality in India and nearly of maternal deaths are due to unsafe abortion. Under the National Health Mission (NHM) a Reproductive and Child Health Programme within its umbrella, several measures have been take n by Government of India to provide services for Safe Abortions Care and reduce unsa abortions in the country. Some of these measures are as under: -

- Framing and dissemination of Comprehensive Abortion Care -Service Delivery and Training Guidelines to St ates/UTs.
- Provision  of  safe  abortion  services  at  Public  Health  Facilities  including PHCs/FRUs(DHs/SDHs/CHCs)
- Formation of District Level Committees for certification of eligible private and Sector facilities to provide quality abortion services.
- Provision of funds to the States/UTs for operationalization of safe abortion servi Health facilities including procurement of equipments, drugs for medical abortion Information Education & Communication/behaviour change communication.
- Capacity building  of  medical  officers  in  safe  abortion  techniques  and  of  th ANM/ASHA/other  field  functionaries  to  provide  confidential  counselling  for  saf abortion and post abortion care.

(d) & (e): Yes. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare received a repr esentation from Indian Radiological and Imaging Association (IRIA) regarding strike of radiologists.

In 25 th Meeting of Central Supervisory Board (CSB) held on 5 th January, 2017, issues raised  by  the  IRIA were  discussed. The  Central  Supervisory  Board fter  due  deliberations recommended that the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare may take the advice of Ministr of Law and Justice in this regard and appropriate steps may be taken accordingly.

## State wise status of cases registered under thePC&PNDT Act , 1994

## (Up toDecember, 2016 )

| S. No.   | States/ UTs       | Court cases   |
|----------|-------------------|---------------|
| 1        | Andhra Pradesh    | 12            |
| 2        | Arunachal Pradesh | 0             |
| 3        | Assam             | 5             |
| 4        | Bihar             | 129           |
| 5        | Chhattisgarh      | 9             |
| 6        | Goa               | 1             |
| 7        | Gujarat           | 0             |
| 8        | Haryana           | 190           |
| 9        | Himachal Pradesh  | 1             |
| 10       | Jammu & Kashmir   | 6             |
| 11       | Jharkhand         | 22            |
| 12       | Karnataka         | 40            |
| 13       | Kerala            | -             |
| 14       | Madhya Pradesh    | 46            |
| 15       | Maharashtra       | 572           |
| 16       | Manipur           | 0             |
| 17       | Meghalaya         | 0             |
| 18       | Mizoram           | 0             |
| 19       | Nagaland          | 0             |
| 20       | Odisha            | 63            |
| 21       | Punjab            | 157           |
| 22       | Rajasthan         | 641           |
| 23       | Sikkim            | 0             |
| 24       | Tamil Nadu        | 91            |
| 25       | Telengana         | 32            |
| 26       | Tripura           | -             |
| 27       | Uttarakhand       | 48            |
| 28       | Uttar Pradesh     | 139           |
| 29       | West Bengal       | 16            |
| 30       | A & N. Island     | -             |
| 31       | Chandigarh        | 1             |
| 32       | D. & N. Haveli    | -             |
| 33       | Daman & Diu       | -             |
| 34       | Delhi             | 94            |
| 35       | Lakshadweep       | -             |
| 36       | Puducherry        | 1             |
|          | TOTAL             |               |
|          |                   | 2316          |