Nellore: Authorities in Nellore district have been directed to intensify measures to curb illegal foetal gender determination tests. District officials have been ordered to conduct more decoy operations and surprise inspections to identify and act against violators.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the District Multi-Member Appropriate Authority Committee, which reviewed the implementation of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act and the Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Act on Tuesday.
Officials stressed that protecting unborn children is a shared social responsibility, noting that determining the gender of a foetus is not only illegal but also fuels female foeticide—a grave social crime. Medical practitioners and scanning centre operators were warned that anyone found performing such tests would face strict legal consequences.
Health officials were instructed to strengthen monitoring of hospitals and scanning centres, ensure compliance with government regulations, and raise public awareness about the dangers of gender-based discrimination and prenatal testing. Committee members and NGOs were urged to coordinate efforts to eliminate the practice entirely from the district.
The meeting was chaired by district collector Himanshu Shukla and attended by district medical and health officer Dr V. Sujatha, NGO representative K. Kavitha Reddy, and other officials.
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