India and The Plague of Female Feticide

Gujarat’s efforts have been led by the Chief Minister Narendra Modi from when he started the “Beti Bachao’ campaign. His recent appeal to the Kadva Patidar community where the lowest sex ratio in Gujarat exists shows his consistent call against this threat. Modi was presiding over the silver jubilee celebration of Goddess Umiya Temple when he asked people there to take a vow in the holy temple to eliminate female feticide.

Another exemplary step by Gujarat was the strong implementation of the laws. The sex selection and sex-determination was controlled under- The Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act of 1994. Seminars for the district health officers were conducted by Gujarat government in 2006 in order to prepare them to collect evidences against the people who violate PNDT Act.  Beside this Gujarat High Court created directions to block the escapes of this law upon the proposals from senior counsel for government. As per First Post India reports, main directions implemented are given below.

 1. Every pregnant woman must be registered with the concerned DHO within two months of pregnancy with a unique code;

2. The Department of Health must issue pregnant women a ‘Mamta’ card without which diagnostic sonography would not be conducted;

3. If a pregnant woman is advised to terminate pregnancy after having conducted an authorized diagnostic sonography, prior permission of the concerned DHO has to be obtained;