The state government has reconstituted the state board mandated under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC-PNDT) Act, 1994. This board aims to create awareness against sex determination tests, which involve pre-conception and pre-natal determination of a fetus’s sex and contribute to female feticide in the state.
**Composition and Leadership**
The newly formed 27-member body, announced by the Mahayuti government, replaces the board appointed in 2021 during the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) regime. The board is chaired by the Minister for Public Health and includes secretaries from several key departments: Public Health, Urban Development, Law and Judiciary, Women and Child Development, Social Justice, and Medical Education. Additionally, the Commissioner for Health Services and the Director of Health Services are members. The Chairperson of the State Women’s Commission serves as an ex-officio member.
**Key Members**
The board features a diverse composition, including three legislators—MLA Sulbha Khodke, MLA Manjula Gavit, and MLC Chitra Wagh—and two women activists, Dr. Kiran Moghe and Dr. Sudha Kankaria. Actor Dr. Nishigandha Wad participates as a social scientist. Medical experts on the board include three gynecologists (Dr. Geeta Pailla, Dr. Shobha Moses, Dr. Prasad Magar), two pediatricians (Dr. Kush Jhunjhunwala and Dr. Amol Pawar), and two radiologists (Dr. Ajay Jadhav and Dr. Rajendra Rameshwar).
**Tenure and Functions**
The board’s tenure is set for three years, with mandatory meetings scheduled every three months. Its primary functions include advising the central government on policy matters, monitoring the implementation of the PC-PNDT Act, and establishing a code of conduct for Genetic Counselling Centres, Genetic Laboratories, and clinics.
Through these measures, the reconstituted board aims to strengthen efforts against illegal sex determination and contribute to the prevention of female feticide in the state.
https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/maharashtra-reconstitutes-state-board-to-combat-female-feticide
