M A I N   N E W S

Bismillah Khan receives Bharat Ratna

New Delhi, May 4
Renowned octogenarian shehnai maestro ustad Bismillah Khan today became the only Indian artiste to have received all four top national civilian honours when he was given the Bharat Ratna by President K.R. Narayanan.

At the brief function held in Darbar Hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan, the ageing but agile maestro was brought up in a wheelchair to receive the citation and gold medal from Mr Narayanan who in a special gesture stepped down from the podium to do the honours. UNI

SC for steps to check female foeticide

New Delhi, May 4
To check the misuse of advanced technology in female foeticide, the Supreme Court today directed the Centre and the state governments to implement the Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Act coupled with media campaign against the menace.

On the suggestions of the Attorney-General Soli Sorabjee, a Bench comprising Mr Justice M.B. Shah and Mr Justice S.N. Variava also directed the Central Supervisory Board (CSB) to meet every six months to review and monitor the implementation of the Act.

This order came on a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Centre for Enquiry into Health and Allied Themese (CEHAT) which submitted that the sex ratio in the country was dropping alarmingly due to the unchecked practice of determining the sex of a foetus, which invariably resulted in female foeticide.

CEHAT had also alleged that sex determination was possible even before the conception by a method called pre-natal genetic diagnosis and warned that unless drastic steps were taken against it, the country would face the consequences in the near future.

The court asked the CSB to examine the necessity of amending the Act, keeping in mind emerging technologies and difficulties encountered implementation of the Act and make necessary recommendations to the Central Government.

The court directed the Centre and state governments to create public awareness against the practice of pre-natal determination of sex and female foeticide though appropriate releases in the electronic media.

Under the court direction, the CSB would issue directions to all the states and union territories to furnish quarterly returns to the CSB giving a report on the implementation and working of the PNDT Act.

These reports would include action taken against non-registered bodies operating in violation of Section 3 of the Act, inclusive of search and seizure of records. The Bench directed the state governments and UT administrations to appoint fully empowered appropriate authorities at district and sub-district levels and also advisory committees to aid and advice the appropriate authority. PTI