New Delhi: On this Thursday, the abstinence on the part of leading search engines including ‘Google India’, ‘Yahoo India’ and ‘Microsoft Corporation (I) Private Limited’ in non-blocking the running advertisements on determination of sex of the child in womb, was informed to the Hon’ble Apex Court of India.
Having regard to the customary trend to kill female children among many communities in India and even among set of educated population too, it is highly prohibited to determine sex of the child in womb and strict steps were taken against by the Government as well as Hon’ble Judiciary. Even the present Prime Minister Narendra Modi has recently launched the “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” campaign for dealing with the said trends in the country and to provide effective support to the female children in the Country.
The Hon’ble Supreme Court of India by its order in the 28th of January, 2015, directed Search engines Google India, Microsoft Corporation (I) Pvt. Ltd. and Yahoo India, not to advertise or even sponsor any kind of advertisement, on ‘India-centric sex determination tests’ which are the violation of Statutory provisions i.e. provision of Section 22 of The Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition Of Sex Selection) Act. The Court further directed such search engines that if any advertisement is existed on any such search engine, then the same should be forthwith withdrawn by the concerned search engines.
Advocate, Sanjay Parekh was directed by the Bench to supply compilation enlisting violations to the learned counsel representing the Search Engine Firms. Following, which Advocate Parekh on 19th of February, filed the said containing advertisements displaying on contesting search engines.
The Court has directed to serve the same and asked the Respondent Firms managing such Search Engines, to file their reply within a week from receiving thereof. The Bench has also decided to fix the hearing date of concerned Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the last week of April this year. The said PIL was filed by one Mr. Sabu Mathew George, requiring the intervention of the Court in the matters of decreasing number of Girl Children in the Country. And the Bench headed by Justices Dipak Misra and Prafulla C Pant passed the relevant order.
by Faim Khalilkhan Pathan.
