Govt makes punishment stringent for sex determination

New Delhi: The Health Ministry has on late Wednesday announced tougher measures against sex determination.

The proposed steps include a five lakh rupee fine for violating the law against the tests, up 10 times from the earlier Rs 50,000.

Any doctor involved in these tests could face seven years in jail. The earlier prison term was five years. The ministry has also proposed incentives for informers.

It has also said that an online registry as well as a medical audit for gynaecologists will be introduced.

These proposals will have to be passed in Parliament to amend the existing law against sex determination.

Alarmed over falling sex-ratio in the country, the Union Health Ministry on Wednesday also recommended stringent punishment for those guilty of female foeticide by enhancing the prison term and monetary penalty.

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