PANAJI: Indian Medical Association (IMA) president Dr RV Asokan called for the legalisation of prenatal gender determination tests, arguing Sunday that the current ban has not substantially impacted India’s skewed sex ratio in three decades.
Prenatal gender determination and sex-selective abortions have been illegal in India under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act since 1994, aimed at curbing female foeticide and improving the sex ratio.
However, Asokan questioned the effectiveness of the law. “After 30 years, what has this law produced? Has it reversed the sex ratio? Not a significant impact. In some places, there may have been (an impact),” he said in Goa, where he attended the golden jubilee celebrations of IMA’s Ponda branch.
India’s sex ratio has shown gradual improvement over the years, rising from 927 females per 1,000 males in 1991 to 943 females per 1,000 males in 2011, according to census data. However, Asokan emphasised that the issue remains persistent and suggested that legalising gender detection could help protect unborn girls by ensuring they are carried to full term.
“IMA’s central working committee is advocating for sex detection and child protection,” Asokan said. “We are demanding sex detection and protection of (the unborn) child…tag the child…carry that child to delivery. If anything untoward occurs, then hold people accountable. It’s possible as technology is available.”
The IMA president also argued that the current ban has led to the unnecessary targeting of ultrasound machines and medical professionals.