Times of India
NEW DELHI, INDIA, September 11, 2003: The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the Centre and the state governments to swing into action and seize the unlicensed ultrasound machine s being used for sex determination purposes. It asked the authorities to strictly monitor the activities of ultrasound diagnostic clinics to prevent illegal female feticide. A Bench of Justices M. B. Shah and Ashok Bhan also said that it was an admitted fact that girls in India were being discriminated against and dowry was still prevalent. “With no change in the mindset about females, the sex determination tests add to the adverse situation,” the Bench said, adding: “The court would not be able to change the mindset of the population.” The judgment is a fallout of a public interest litigation filed by an NGO called the Centre for Enquiry into Health and Allied Themes (CEHAT) through its activist Sabu George, seeking implementation of the Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Regulations and Prevention of Misuse) Act across the country.