Dear Friends,
Some advanced medical technology today stands in doldrums because of its
misuse in pre-natal sex determination and sex selection. The popularity of
sex determination tests in India has its roots in the strong son-preference
which, to a large extent, has the sanction of religion, tradition and culture.
India has a legacy of biases against the girl child, as illustrated by continuing
discrimination in receiving health and nutrition and also education.
Today, advanced technology provides sophisticated methods of sex selection which has led to a drastic fall in the child sex ratio through sex-selective
elimination of the girl child before birth. In order to address the rampant
practice of sex selection, the Government of India enacted the Pre-Natal
Diagnostic Techniques (PNDT) Act in 1994, which prohibits sex selection and
sex determination for non-medical reasons. However, despite this legislation
and incessant efforts by civil society organisations to foster mind-set change, the 2001 Census had
revealed the CSR (child sex ratio) to have substantially worsened. This was followed by an amendment
of the PNDT Act in 2004 to become Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act
in order to provide for the prohibition of sex-selection before or after conception and for the regulation of
pre-natal diagnostic techniques. Nevertheless, the 2011 Census has revealed glaring gaps in the implementation of this Act, as CSR figures continue to decline at an unnerving rate.
Kriti Foundation (KF) is one such national-level organisation which has taken the issue of pre-natal sex
selection with utmost priority. KF has been working on effectively to address issues relating to sex
selection through a synergistic approach since 2008. We are glad to inform you that our organisation has
released its first edition on the issue of female foeticide to motivate various stakeholders of the society
to come together and generate awareness against this burning social cause, and thereby, help reduce the
number of sex-selective elimination of baby girls in the wombs of their mothers.
Aparna Singh
Anchor Person
DD & AIR