Question

What is the purpose of the Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Act?

• A. To prevent abortion due to poverty and ignorance.
• B. To give incentives to families to raise girl child.
• C. To prevent female infanticide.
• D. To prevent misuse of technology for selective abortions.

Hint:

For questions about specific laws or acts, pay close attention to the wording. The PNDT Act's focus is on regulating the *technique* to prevent its *misuse*. The broader social goals (like preventing infanticide) are the outcome, but the Act's direct target is the technology and its application.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
The question asks for the primary purpose of the Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques (PNDT) Act, 1994. The full title of the act itself provides a strong clue: "Regulation and Prevention of Misuse".
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The PNDT Act was enacted in response to the growing problem of female foeticide in India, which was leading to a declining child sex ratio.
Medical technologies like ultrasound, which are meant for detecting genetic abnormalities in a fetus, were being widely misused for the sole purpose of determining the sex of the fetus.
If the fetus was found to be female, this knowledge often led to a selective abortion.
Therefore, the direct purpose of the Act is to regulate the use of these diagnostic techniques and make it illegal to use them for sex determination, thereby preventing the misuse of technology for selective abortions.
While the ultimate goal is to combat female infanticide (C) and improve the status of the girl child, the immediate, legal purpose and mechanism of the Act is to stop the misuse of medical technology (D). Option (D) is the most precise description of the Act's function.
Step 3: Final Answer:
The specific purpose of the PNDT Act is to prevent the misuse of medical technology for sex determination leading to sex-selective abortions.