PC-PNDT Act: Central Govt Constitutes new Central Supervisory Board, Check out details

New Delhi: Through a recent gazette notification the central government has announced the appointment of various members to the Central Supervisory Board to exercise the powers and perform the functions conferred on the Board under PCPNDT Act.

It is reported that section 7 of the Act deals with the constitution of the board. While many members of the board include ex-officio members, there are 10 experts that are appointed to the board including eminent medical geneticists(2); eminent gynaecologist (2) and obstetrician or expert of stri-roga or prasuti-tantra (2); eminent paediatricians (2); eminent social scientists (2); and representatives of women welfare organisations (2). These members have a tenure of three years, according to section 8 of the act

In exercise of the powers conferred by Section 7 read with Section 8 of the Pre-conception and Prenatal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act of 1994, the Central Government has recently made amendments in the Notification No. S.O. 85 (E), dated 5th February, 1997, issued by Government of India, in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (Department of Family Welfare), naming the following members to the board:

• Prof. B.K. Thelma, Department of Genetics, University of Delhi -  Member


• Dr. Madhulika Kabra, Prof. (Genetics Unit of Paediatrics), AIIMS, New Delhi-Member


• Dr. Pradyuman Ganubhai Vaja, HOD (Obst. & Gyn.), B.J. Medical College Civil Hospital, Asarwa, Karnavati-Member


• Dr. V. Elizabeth, St. John Medical College, Bangalore- Member


• Dr. S. Ramji (Neonatology), Dean, MAMC. Member


• Dr. Rashmi Kumar, Head, Deptt. of Paediatrics, King George MedicalUniversity, Lucknow- Member


• Prof. Ilina Sen, HOD (Women’s studies), School of Culture, Mahatama Gandhi Antar-rashtriya Hindi University, Wardha- Member


• Prof. Prem Chowdhary, Sr. Academic Fellow, Indian Council of Historical Research, New Delhi-Member


• Dr. Neelam Singh, Vatsalya, Lucknow-Member


• Smt. Dona Fernandez, Vimochana, Bangalore-Member

As per the Gazette, the term of the office of the above Members shall be for a period of three years commencing from the date of this Notification (10th January 2018) or till further orders, whichever is earlier.

Apart from the above members appointed by the government, the board also contains certain ex-officio members. These include

• The Minister in charge of the Ministry or Department of Family Welfare, who shall be the
  Chairman, ex-officio;


• The Secretary to the Government of India in charge of the Department of Family Welfare, who shall be the Vice-Chairman, ex-officio;


• Three members to be appointed by the Central Government to represent the Ministries of
  Central Government in charge of Women and Child Development, Department of Legal
  Affairs or Legislative Department in the Ministry of Law and Justice, and Indian System of
  Medicine and Homoeopathy, ex-officio;


• The Director General of Health Services of the Central Government, ex-officio;


• Three women Members of Parliament, of whom two shall be elected by the House of the People and one by the Council of States;


• Four members to be appointed by the Central Government by rotation to represent the States and the Union territories, two in the alphabetical order and two in the reverse alphabetical order: Provided that no appointment under this clause shall be made except on the recommendation of the State Government or, as the case may be, the Union territory;


• an officer, not below the rank of a Joint Secretary or equivalent of the Central Government, in charge of Family Welfare, who shall be the Member-Secretary, ex-officio.