Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act,
                                                                           

Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, 1994 is an federal legislation enacted by
the Parliament of India to stop female foeticides and arrest the declining sex ratio in India. The act banned prenatal sex determination.
The main purpose of enacting the act is to ban the use of
sex selection techniques before or after conception and prevent the misuse of prenatal diagnostic technique for sex selective abortion.

Main provisions in the act are

      1.    The Act provides for the prohibition of sex selection, before or after conception.

      2.    It regulates the use of pre-natal diagnostic techniques, like ultrasound and amniocentesis by allowing them their use only to detect :

                          1.   genetic abnormalities

                                                                            2.   metabolic disorders

                                                                            3.   chromosomal abnormalities

                                                                            4.   certain congenital malformations

                                                                            5.   haemoglobinopathies

                                                                            6.   Sex linked disorders.

3.    No laboratory or centre or clinic will conduct any test including ultrasonography for the purpose of determining the sex of the foetus.

4.    No person, including the one who is conducting the procedure as per the law, will communicate the sex of the foetus to the pregnant woman or her relatives by words, signs or any other method.

5.    Any person who puts an advertisement for pre-natal and pre-conception sex determination facilities in the form of a notice, circular, label, wrapper or any document, or advertises through interior or other media in electronic or print form or engages in any visible representation made by means of hoarding, wall painting, signal, light, sound, smoke or gas, can be imprisoned for up to three years and fined Rs. 10,000.

The Act mandates compulsory registration of all diagnostic laboratories, all genetic counselling centres, genetic laboratories, genetic clinics and ultrasound clinics.

Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Act, 1994 (PNDT), was amended in 2003 to The Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition Of Sex Selection) Act (PCPNDT Act) to improve the regulation of the technology used in sex selection.

Implications of the amendment are

1.    Amendment of the act mainly covered bringing the technique of pre conception sex selection within the ambit of the act

2.    Bringing ultrasound within its ambit

3.    Empowering the central supervisory board, constitution of state level supervisory board

4.    Provision for more stringent punishments

5.    Empowering appropriate authorities with the power of civil court for search, seizure and sealing the machines and equipment of the violators

6.    Regulating the sale of the ultrasound machines only to registered bodies.

Source- Wikipedia and The hindu.