302 9o!rnal 7aw$ a&ain$t Se#(Selection in India Cri79 ni;ed t"e *er*etrator$ o e%ale in anticide.a$. abandon t"e%..

IPC al$o *ro)ide$ or *!n( %!rderer$, w"ile Act <IlI o 1870 2al$o -nown( i$"in& t"o$e &!ilt+ o concealin& or $ecretl+ a$ :e%ale In anticide Act4 %andated co%*!l( di$*o$in& o t"e dead bod+ o an+ bab+, w"ic" $or+ re&i$tration o birt"$, deat"$, betrot"al$, %ar(= die$ be ore, d!rin& or a ter birt".'6 8)en ria&e$ and re%arria&e$ b+ 3e&i$trar$ a**ointed' t"o!&" t"e law cri%inali;e$ e%ale in anticide or t"e *!r*o$e. :e%ale In anticide Act wa$ en( and e%ale roeticide, t"e *ractice contin!e$ orced $trictl+ ro% 187> to 190>. 7aw$ *ro(. !nabatedl+. T"i$ i$ beca!$e t"e cri%e &oe$ "ibitin& e%alein anticidedidnotentirel+eradi(? !nre*orted a$ it en,o+$ t"e a**ro)al o t"e care b!t deterred $!c" *ractice$. $ociet+, t"e *er*etrator$ are a%il+ %e%ber$ :e%a Ie oeticide de*ri )e$ a &irl o "er ba( and t"e )icti% i$ inca*able o rai$in& an alar%. $ic ri&"t to be born w"ic" i$ a )iolation o "er 5n$a e abortion i$ one o t"e %a,or ca!$e$ o !nda%ental ri&"t to li e and ri&"t to *rot?c(' %aternal deat"$ and it wa$ elt t"at re$tricti)e ,,.. le&al en)iron%ent$ "a%*ered acce$$ to $a e tiona&ain$t di$cri%ination &!aranteed b+ Ar(= abortion. @i&" %aternal %ortalit+ rate and t"e ricle$ 21 and 15214 o t"e Con$tit!tion a ln=' diare$*ecti)el+. T"ere are no law$ t"atdeal increa$in& international reco&nition o a . , wo%an'$ ri&"tto control "er ertilit+ *ro%*ted $*eci icall+ wit" t"e cri%e o e%ale in anti( t"e &o)e%%ent to le&ali;in& abortion in India. cide and e%ale oeticide. Abortion, inde*en( It wa$ elt t"at $!c" a %o)e wo!ld enco!ra&eA dent o an+ "ar% w"ic" it ca!$e$ .0, be i ie wo%en to $ee- ter%ination o *re&nanc+ in le( tended to ca!$e to t"e wo%an, i$ an o ence &al and $a e $ettin&$. !nder t"e Indian Penal Code, 18>0 or w"ic" T"e Indian &o)ern%ent liberali;ed it$ abor( t"e inot"er a$ well a$ t"e abortioni$t can be tion law$ b+ ado*tin& t"e Medical Ter%ina( (*!ni$"ed.. IPC *er%it$ abortion onl+ i it i$ tion o Pre&nanc+ Act, 1972 2MTP Act4. T"i$ ind!ced in &ood ait" to $a)e t"e li e o i i?' land%ar- ie&i$lation e%*owered wo%en b+ %ot"er. An+one ca!&"t *er or%in& an ille&al le&ali;in& ind!ced abortion in India !nder cer( abortion i$ liable to t"ree to $e)en +ear$ i%(= tain condition$. T"e MTP Act allow$ an+ &o)( *ri$on%ent and a ine. Bo%en ter%inatin& t"eir e%%ent(r!n "o$*ital, certi ied *ri)ate acilit+ *re&nanc+ al$o ace !* to $e)en +ear$ in *ri$on or re&i$tered %edical *ractitioner$ in India to and a ine. B"oe)er )ol!ntaril+ ca!$e$ a *er or% a"ortion$ !ntiltwent+ wee-$ o *re&( wo%an to %i$carr+, $"all, i $!c" %i$carria&e nanc+. 5nder t"e MTP Act, *re&nanc+ can be i$ not ca!$ed in &ood ait" or $a)in& t"e li e ter%inated on t"era*e!tic, e!&enic, "!%ani( o t"e wo%an, be *!ni$"ed wit" an i%*ri$on( tarian or $ocial &ro!nd$. /otwit"$tandin& %ent o !* to t"ree +ear$, or wit" ineA an+t"in& contained in t"e IPC, a *re&nanc+. wit" bot", 10 B"oe)er, wit" t"e intent to ca!$e can be ter%inated in &ood ait" b+ a re&i$tered t"e %i$carria&e o a wo%an, doe$ an+ act, %edical *ractitioner, i t"e len&t" o t"e *re&( w"ic" ca!$e$ "er deat", $"all be *!ni$"ed wit" nanc+ doe$ not e#ceed twent+ wee-$ and t"e an i%*ri$on%ent o !* to ten +ear$ and wit" contin!ation o t"e *re&nanc+ in)ol)e$ a ri$ine, w"ile i t"e %i$carria&e i$ wit"o!t t"? to t"e li e o t"e *re&nant wo%anA or(&ra)e con$ent o t"e *re&nant wo%an t"e *!ni$"( in,!r+ to t"e *"+$ical andCor %ental "ealt" o %ent %a+ be li e i%*ri$on%ent.. :e%ale in( t"e *re&nant wo%anA or w"en t"ere i$ $!b( anticide i$ co)ered !nder t"e o ence o %!r( $tantial ri$- t"at t"e c"ild i bo% wo!ld $! er der and c!l*able "o%icide !nder Section$ 299 ro% *"+$ical andCor %ental abnor%alitie$ a$ and 300 re$*ecti )el+ o t"e IPc. T"e IPC al$o' to be $erio!$i + "andica**ed.r' B"ere a *re&( "a$ *ro)i$ion$ !nder Section$ 315 and 3?D? nanc+ ari$e$ ro% $e# cri%e$ li-e ra*e or be( or *!ni$"in& %i$carria&e, e%ale in anticide,' ca!$e o ail!re o contrace*ti )e de)ice, it i$ e%ale oeticide and $i%ilar o ence$, b!t t"e$e *re$!%ed t"at $!c" *re&nanc+ con$tit!te$ a *ro)i$ion$ are rarel+ en orced. IPC contain$ &ra)e in,!r+ to t"e %ental "ealt" o t"e *ro)i$ion$ or *!ni$"in& *arent$C&!ardian$ wo%an. IS T"e ter%ination o a *re&nanc+ b+ .d . a *er$on w"o i$ not a re&i$tered %edical *rac( w, 0 or ca5Sin& eatb o c"iidren e#*o$e arA ' 9. S 12. S 2 , ' ection ection u . 91, IPC 317, IPC 1 10. S 13. S 2 ection ection 318, 312, IPC IPC titioner will be an o ence !nder 11. S 14, Section t"e IPC, w"ic" ection 3, MTP Act 314, IPC to t"at e#tent i$ %odi ied. It i$ 15, Ibid wron& to bla%e t"e MTP Act w"ic" en$!re$ a wo%en'$ ri&"t( !l acce$$ to $a e and le&al abortion $er)ice$, or t"e ra%*ant $e#( $electi)e abortion$ in In( dia. In India, %edical ter%ination o *re&( nanc+ per se i$ not ille&al b!t it i$ ille&al to abort oet!$ ,!$t beca!$e it i$

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7aw$ a&ain$t Se# Selection in e%ale. India In order to c"ec- t"e ille&al and anti($ocial *ractice o *re(natal $e#( deter%ination, .Pre( /atal 0ia&no$tic Tec"ni1!e$ 23e&!lation and Pre)ention o Mi$!$e4 Act,,1994. 2P/0T Act4 "a$ been i%*le%ented in t"e India, P/0T Act "a$ been a%ended a$ .Pre( Conce*tion and Pre( /atal 0ia&no$tic Tec"ni1!e$ 2Pro"ibition o Se#($election4 Act, 2003. 2PC & P/0T Act4 or c!rbin& *re(conce*tion $e#( $election t"ro!&" t"e %iS5526 o tec"nolo&+. 7ac!na$ in PC & P/0T Act A lt"o!&" India "a$ a $tron& law( t"e PC & P/0T Act, to c!rb $e# $election, lac!na$ and loo*"ole$ in t"e PC & P/0T Act and la# i%*le( %entation o t"e law *er%it$ ra%*ant %i$!$e o %edical tec"nolo&ie$ or $e#( $election. 8 ( ecti )e i%*le%entation o t"e PC & P/l9T Act i$ "a%*ered b+ *ractical di ic!ltie$ and $oci( etal a*at"+. :ir$tl+, in t"e %atter o $e#($elec( tion, bot" t"e $er)ice( $ee-er and $er)ice(*ro( )ider are *er*etrator$ w"ile t"e e%ale oet!$ i$ t"e onl+ )icti%. Con)iction i$ rare a, t"ere i$ non(re*ortin& o cri%e and ab$ence o e)i( dence or witne$$, Secondl+, t"e re1!i$ite bod( ie$ !nder t"e PC & P/0T Act do not e#i$t in all t"e State$ and w"ere)er t"e+ e#i$t, t"e+ are $t+%ied beca!$e o inade1!ate le&al orien( tation, e#*erti$e and initiati)e. T"irdl+, $e# $e( lecti)e abortion en,o+$ $ocial $anction and i$ not *ercei)ed a$ a cri%e b!t a$ a %et"od o en$!rin& t"e birt" o $on$. :!rt"er, it beco%e$ di ic!lt to di$tin&!i$" ca$e$ o e%ale oeti( cide and MTP. T"ere are $"ortco%in&$ al$o in t"e recei*t o 1!arterl+ re*ort$ ro% State$ and 5nion Territorie$. 0!l+ co%*leted or%$ containin& detail$ o *re&nanc+( related te$t$ cond!cted b+ $ono&ra*"+ clinic$ are eit"er not $ent b+ t"e $ti*!lated ti%e or

ne)er $!b%itted at all. T"e *anel, w"ic" i$ $!**o$ed to $cr!ti( ni;e t"e or%$, ail$ to %eet re&!larl+. M!c" ti%e i$ wa$ted !*on re&i$tration o clinic$ and ro!tine ad%ini$trati )e wor-$ w"ile clinic record$ are not $trictl+ and re&!larl+ %oni( tored. It i$ i%*o$$ible to re&!late all *ri)ate clinic$ t"at o er

a c i l i t i e $ o r * r e ( c o n c e * t i o n

9El.1rna1303 and *re( natal dia&no$tic tec"ni1!e$Ct e$tC*ro( ced!re$ or to %onitor t"e w"ereabo!t$ o %obile !ltra$o!nd %ac"ine$. :a-e addre$$e$ o *atient$ andCor wron& rea$on$ or doin& $ono&ra*"+ are recorded. .., To redre$$ t"e $erio!$ and c"ronic cri%e

wo%en'$ ri&"t$ o)er re*rod!ction and t"e con$ideration$ o *o*!lation control. /or%$ and $tandard$ $"o!ld be ra%ed w"ic" allow wo%en ree acce$$ to *re(conce*tion and *re(natal $e#( deter%ination or %edical rea$on$. 7e&al %ec"ani$%$ !nder PC & P/0T Act $"o!ld be $tren&t"ened and ir%l+ i%*le( %ented, T"e Indian Penal Code, Cri%inal Pro( ced!re Code and Indian 8)idence Act $"o!ld be a%ended to brid&e t"e c"a$% between t"e law and $ocial realitie$. T"e $trict *ro)i$ion$ in t"e IPC on abortion were drawn ro% t"e 8n&li$" law on t"e $!b,ect d!rin& t"e nine( teent" cent!r+. Fein& *lain %!r1er, t"e State

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