New Delhi: The Union Health Ministry has suspended the rules governing a law which imposes a blanket ban on prenatal sex determination for over two months, a move which is being widely criticised for its future consequences and possibility of spike in sex-selective abortions in the country.
In a notification issued on April 4, the Health Ministry had pressed hold on rules under the Prenatal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Rules, 1996, until June 30 in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
The rules, now been relaxed, envisage ultrasound clinics to maintain and submit detailed records of pregnant women who undergo foetal scans to the local heal the authorities. In the absence of rules, many fears it could le ad to undocumented misuse by clinic owners and parents.
