SC notice to Govt on website promoting sex determination kit

New Delhi, Jul 21 (PTI) The Supreme Court today sought a response from the Centre on a plea seeking a direction to block an American website providing information about a diagnostic kit which could be used for sex determination.A Bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan issued notice to the Ministry of Science and Technology on the application filed by Punjab NGO, Voluntary Health Association.The NGO brought to the court's notice an advertisement, published in a newspaper in Punjab, giving details about the Baby Gender Mentor Kit which can help its users to know the sex of a foetus by analysing the blood sample of pregnant woman.Without disclosing the address of the website, with the aim to curb its access, the application said the objective of the parties involved in the activity was in violation of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic techniques (Prohibition on Sex-Selection) Act, 1994, commonly known as PNDT Act, which prohibits sex-determination.The NGO said the website provides information as to how the kit can be procured and how blood samples can be sent to a foreign country through a private courier company.It said such action by the website and the courier company was in violation of the PNDT Act and there was an urgent need to prevent misuse of technology.The application said the Ministry of Science and Technology can take the steps for blanket ban on the website.The application will be tagged with a pending PIL filed by the NGO which had said though the Act was amended in 2003 pursuant to the apex court direction, there was need for guidelines for proper and full implementation of the Act. PTI
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