Feb. 18, 2025 : A joint meeting was held at the Directorate of Family Welfare Services, Manipur, to address issues related to gender discrimination and the implementation of the Preconception and Prenatal Diagnostic Techniques (PC-PNDT) Act. The meeting was attended by members of the State Advisory Committee (SAC), State Appropriate Authority (SAA), and the State PC-PNDT Cell Manipur.
Dr. N. Hemantakumar Singh, Director of Family Welfare Services and Chairman of the meeting, emphasized the importance of ensuring strict compliance with the PC-PNDT Act, particularly on e-commerce platforms and social networking sites. He highlighted the need for advisories and regulations to address online violations, stressing that Section 22 of the PCPNDT Act of 1998 prohibits any advertisements related to sex determination. Dr. Hemantakumar further called for collaborative programmes with various departments to promote and support the girl child through benefits and incentives.
Dr. Sujata Huidrom, State Nodal Officer for PC-PNDT, provided an overview of the activities conducted over the past three months in all districts. These activities included district-level meetings, awareness workshops on the PC-PNDT Act and gender discrimination, sensitization programmes, and state-level training for public prosecutors.
Tenshubam Sangeeta, MCS, Joint Director of DIPR and SAC Member, shared that District Information Offices had been actively disseminating information about the government’s initiatives through press releases, including awareness programmes on the PC-PNDT Act and gender discrimination.
The Preconception and Prenatal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Determination) Act, 2003, remains a critical legal measure aimed at safeguarding the girl child by penalizing those involved in sex determination practices, and acting as a deterrent to such illegal activities.
