(a) whether the Government have seen the advertisements by an US company for `Genselect` gender selection method for deciding the sex of a child;
(b) if so, the reaction of the Government thereto;
(c) whether there is any proposal to ban such techniques in India; and
(d) if so, the steps taken so far in this regard?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI A. RAJA)
(a)to(d): Yes, Sir. An advertisement about availability of a facility for selection of sex of next child was published in New Delhi edition of the Times of India dated 16.11.2001. Publication of an advertisement about any availability of facility for pre-natal determination of sex of next child is an offence under section 22 of the Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Act, 1994. Accordingly, the Appropriate Authority of the Union Territory of Delhi has filed a complaint in the Court under the said Act against the Publisher of The Times of India, New Delhi.