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BJP MLAs don't want doctors conducting sex-determination test arrested. Give them PM Modi's memo

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DailyBiteOct 18, 2017 | 18:05

BJP MLAs don't want doctors conducting sex-determination test arrested. Give them PM Modi's memo

The Prime Minister's

Prime Minister Narendra Modi might have spoken many hundreds of times about the importance of the girl child, and how India needs to save, love and care for its girl children.

His "Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao" campaign has been reasonably successful, at least in theory, to drill in some sense about gender equality and ensure that girl children live, go to school, get the same amount of food as their male counterparts, and aren't neglected by parents, relatives, social institutions and other platforms for a healthy and successful life.

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However, it seems some BJP MLAs haven't got the memo from PM Modi, despite three-and-a-half years of the man being in power.

According to a report by The Indian Express, a doctor couple in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, who were "caught red-handed" allegedly "conducting illegal pre-natal sex determination tests on a pregnant woman", couldn't be taken into custody after alleged "interference" by two local BJP MLAs, Sanjeev Raja and Anil Parashar.

The pregnant woman was reportedly a "decoy planted by the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) cell of the Rajasthan government", and the BJP MLAs from Aligarh didn't allow Rajasthan officials to seize the ultrasound machine or arrest the accused physicians.

The report says: "Officials, including the Aligarh District Magistrate, kept trying to convince the MLAs to let the Rajasthan team do their job but they did not relent, sources said."

Sex-selection tests are illegal

Of course, sex determination tests on a foetus are illegal in India, and the law first came into force in 1996 as the Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Act, 1994, to stop female foeticides and the declining sex ratio in the country.

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In 2003, the Act was amended to regulate the use of ultrasound and amniocentesis by limiting the use of these tests to determining genetic, metabolic, chromosomal and other medical abnormalities and health issues. The new Act came to be known as the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, 2003, commonly called PC-PNDT Act. The PC-PNDT Act has the following main objectives:

a) Prohibition of sex selection, before and after conception.

b) Regulation of prenatal diagnostic techniques (e.g., amniocentesis and ultrasonography) for the detection of genetic abnormalities, by restricting their use to registered institutions. The Act allows the use of these techniques only at a registered place, for a specified purpose, and by a qualified person who is registered for the purpose.

c) Prevention of the misuse of such techniques for sex selection, before or after conception.

d) Prohibition of the advertisement of any technique used for sex selection as well as those used for sex determination.

e) Prohibition of the sale of ultrasound machines to persons not registered under this Act.

f) Violations carry a five-year jail term and a fine. All offenses are cognizable when police may arrest without a warrant. They are also non-bailable and non-compoundable.

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India's sex ratio has worsened over the years, from being 102.4 males per 100 females in 1961 to 108.9 males per 100 females in 2011, or 943 females per 1000 males.
India's sex ratio has worsened over the years, from being 102.4 males per 100 females in 1961 to 108.9 males per 100 females in 2011, or 943 females per 1000 males.

Female foeticide in India

Female foeticide remains a major problem in India, and despite repeated attempts by successive governments, the ground reality continues to be dismal. In fact, India's sex ratio has worsened over the years, from being 102.4 males per 100 females in 1961 to 108.9 males per 100 females in 2011, or 943 females per 1000 males, according to the last census conducted the same year. Child sex ratio is even worse at 919 girl children per 1,000 male kids.

Not surprisingly, the "cow belt" has seen worse sex ratio than the national average, with Uttar Pradesh at a dismal 912 females per 1000 males, displaying maximum population increase and dim sex ratio. 

Extreme prejudice against girl children and women in general in a highly patriarchal and misogynist society manifests in various forms, and sex-selective tests leading to aborting the girl foetus are a huge driving force behind India's skewed sex ratio.

This is precisely the reason why PM Modi made the extra effort, throwing his weight behind saving and educating the girl child. What about 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao'?

Of PM Modi's many catchy slogans, Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao has been one of the most widespread, ubiquitously accepted and praised. The homepage of the Beti Bachao campaign, part of the schemes launched by the ministry of women and child development, shows PM Modi affectionately looking at a girl child, while its tagline says "Let's commit to the cause of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao". 

The homepage of the Beti Bachao campaign shows PM Modi affectionately looking at a girl child.
The homepage of the Beti Bachao campaign shows PM Modi affectionately looking at a girl child.

The aims and objectives of the Beti Bachao scheme are provided in the website and they include a) preventing gender-biased, sex-selective elimination; b) ensuring survival and protection of the girl child; and c) ensuring education of the girl child.

However, instead of celebrating the girl child, the doctors in Aligarh were allegedly caught performing those very banned tests that are precursors to sex-selective abortions.

And, the ruling party legislators from UP were not only complicit in preventing Rajasthan officials from doing their job by taking those medicos into custody, they were flouting the letter and spirit of one of the most prominent schemes of their own government at the Centre.

Of late, the Rajasthan government has been doing reasonably better in combating child mortality and preventing female foeticide - piloting the Dakshata scheme of the National Health Mission under the Union ministry of health and family welfare - and CM Vasundhara Raje should be congratulated for that.

However, her enthusiasm isn't being shared by the legislators in UP, where sex-selective tests are supposedly being done under the aid of elected representatives of the people.

It's a pity that UP is in the news for all the wrong reasons these days. When women are not being beaten up by cops in their own university for complaining against sexual harassment - such as what happened in Banaras Hindu University sometime back - tests leading to their lives being snuffed out when they are mere foetuses are being encouraged by the MLAs of the party ruling in the state and the Centre.

What a shame!

Last updated: October 18, 2017 | 18:23
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