THE PRE-CONCEPTION AND PRE-NATAL DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES ACT OF 1994

May 4, 2019

In a significant judgement, the supreme court upheld the provision of PC-PNDT Act, 1994 which ‘criminalises’ non-maintenance of medical records by obstetricians and gynaecologists and suspend their medical licence indefinitely.

About:

Full name of the Act: The Pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act of 1994.
Key objective of the Act: To ban the use of sex selection techniques after conception and misuse of pre-natal diagnostic technique for sex selective abortions.
Salient Features of the Act:
- It provides for the prohibition of sex selection, before or after conception.
- It regulates the use of pre-natal diagnostic techniques only to detect genetic abnormalities, metabolic disorders, chromosomal abnormalities, certain congenital malformations, haemoglobinopathies and sex linked disorders.
- The Central Supervisory Board (CSB) was constituted by the government under Section 7 to review and monitor implementation of the Act and rules made there under
- It ‘criminalises’ non-maintenance of medical records by obstetricians and gynaecologists and suspend their medical licence indefinitely.
- It mandates compulsory registration of all diagnostic laboratories, all genetic counselling centres, genetic laboratories, genetic clinics and ultrasound clinics.
- Any person who puts an advertisement for pre-natal and pre-conception sex determination facilities through any media in electronic or print can be imprisoned and fined.