A higher fine coupled with a longer period of jail term as well as a 24 hr toll free number to lodge complaints against doctors who conduct sex discrimination tests are to be introduced by the Union Health Ministry in order curtail female feticide in India.

Designated courts will be set up to for hearing cases against those who violate the Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques and Pre-Conception Acts. Also special public prosecutors will be appointed who will deal with the filing of court cases against those found guilty. The judiciary will concern itself with quicker conviction rates.

The Ministry is also planning to bring amendments to the PNDT and PC Acts in order to set up a graded punishment system, which will ensure that those conducting sex discrimination tests will be jailed anywhere beween three months and three years. Penalty is between Rs.10,000 and Rs. 1 lakh, which will be enhanced to between Rs. 3 and 7 lakh. A clause, which shall be mandatory, will be introduced, which will permit gynaecologists, radiologists and obstetricians, who posses the DNB degree, to make use of ultrasound machines.

Female feticide and sex selective determination and female feticide is more prevalent in the prosperous and urban classes. The lowest sex ratio is found in Punjab, Gujarat, Haryana and Delhi. At present for the age group of 0-6 years, the child sex ratio is 927 girls per 1000.

Source TOI May 5, 2008
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