The outbreak of coronavirus COVID-19 and the 21-day nationwide lockwide announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 24 to check the spread of fatal virus have led to a flood of fake news and misinformation on social media platforms.
One such fake news which is viral these days on social media claims that Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has suspended the PC&PNDT Act which prohibits sex selection before or after conception till June 30.
The Press Information Bureau has debunked this fake news stressing that no such thing has been done by the Union Ministry and people should not believe these baseless news.
Claim : Media reports that @MoHFW_INDIA has suspended till June 30, the PC&PNDT Act which prohibits sex selection before or after conception
Reality : No such thing has been done by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Read : https://t.co/hrROh7XKPb pic.twitter.com/Hnp6VzWVsq
— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) April 10, 2020
"A section of the media is speculating that the PC&PNDT (Pre Conception and Pre Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection)) Act 1994 has been suspended by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. It is clarified that MoHFW has not suspended the PC&PNDT Act, which prohibits sex selection before or after conception," the Union Ministry said in a press release.
"In view of the ongoing lockdown, due of COVID19 pandemic, the Health Ministry has issued a Notification dated April 4, 2020 to defer/suspend certain provisions under the PC&PNDT Rules 1996. These Rules pertain to applying for renewal of registration if falling due in this period, submission of reports by diagnostics centres by 5th day of the following month and submission of quarterly progress report (QPR) by the States/UTs," added the press release.
The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare asserted that each Ultrasound clinic, Genetic Counselling centre, Genetic Laboratory, Genetic Clinicand Imaging Centre would have to maintain all the mandatory records on day to day basis and only the submission deadlines to respective Appropriate Authorities have been extended till June 30, 2020 due to coronavirus outbreak.
The ministry noted that there is no exemption (to the diagnostic centres) from compliance to theprovisions of the PC&PNDT Act.
"All records are mandatory and have to be maintained as per the Rules and the said Notification in no way impacts the requirement of stringent implementation of the PC&PNDT Act and Rules," said the press release.
