Page 1

1

Reportable

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA

EXTRAORDINARY CIVIL WRIT JURISDICTION

WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) NO. 349 OF 2006

Voluntary Health Association of Punjab ..Petitioner

Versus

Union of India & Others .. Respondents

O R D E R

Indian  society’s  discrimination  towards  female  child  still  

exists due to various reasons which has its roots in the social  

behaviour and prejudices against the female child and, due to  

the evils of the dowry system, still prevailing in the society, in  

spite of its  prohibition under the Dowry Prohibition Act.   The  

decline in the female child ratio all over the country leads to an  

irresistible  conclusion that  the  practice  of eliminating  female  

foetus by the use of pre-natal diagnostic techniques is widely  

prevalent in this country.  Complaints are many, where at least  

few  of  the  medical  professionals  do  perform  Sex  Selective

Page 2

2

Abortion having full knowledge that the sole reason for abortion  

is because it is a female foetus.   The provisions of the Medical  

Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971 are also being consciously  

violated and misused.    

The Parliament wanted to prevent the same and enacted  

the  Pre-Conception  and  Pre-Natal  Diagnostic  Techniques  

(Prohibition  on  Sex-Selection)  Act,  1994  (for  short  ‘the  Act’)  

which has its roots in Article 15(2) of the Constitution of India.  

The  Act  is  a  welfare  legislation.   The  Parliament  was  fully  

conscious of the fact  that  the increasing imbalance between  

men  and  women  leads  to  increased  crime  against  women,  

trafficking, sexual assault, polygamy etc.  Unfortunately, facts  

reveal  that  perpetrators  of  the  crime  also  belong  to  the  

educated  middle  class  and  often  they  do  not  perceive  the  

gravity of the crime.  

This Court, as early as, in 2001 in  Centre for Enquiry  

into Health and Allied Themes v. Union of India (2001) 5  

SCC 577 had noticed the misuse of the Act and gave various

Page 3

3

directions  for  its  proper  implementation.   Non-compliance  of  

various directions was noticed by this Court again in Centre for  

Enquiry into Health and Allied Themes v. Union of India  

(2003) 8 SCC 398 and this Court gave various other directions.   

Having  noticed  that  those  directions  as  well  as  the  

provisions of the Act are not being properly implemented by the  

various States  and Union Territories,  we passed an order  on  

8.1.2013  directing  personal  appearance  of  the  Health  

Secretaries  of  the  States  of  Punjab,  Haryana,  NCT  Delhi,  

Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Maharashtra, to examine  

what  steps  they  have  taken  for  the  proper  and  effective  

implementation  of  the  provisions  of  the  Act  as  well  as  the  

various directions issued by this Court.

We  notice  that,  even  though,  the  Union  of  India  has  

constituted  the  Central  Supervisory  Board  and  most  of  the  

States and Union Territories have constituted State Supervisory  

Boards,  Appropriate  Authorities,  Advisory  Committees  etc.  

under the Act, but their functioning are far from satisfactory.   

Page 4

4

2011  Census  of  India,  published  by  the  Office  of  the  

Registrar  General  and  Census  Commissioner  of  India,  would  

show a decline in female child sex ratio in many States of India  

from 2001-2011.  The Annual Report on Registration of Births  

and Deaths - 2009, published by the Chief Registrar of NCT of  

Delhi would also indicate a sharp decline in the female sex ratio  

in almost all the Districts.  Above statistics is an indication that  

the provisions of the Act are not properly and effectively being  

implemented.  There has been no effective supervision or follow  

up action so as to achieve the object and purpose of the Act.  

Mushrooming of various Sonography Centres,  Genetic  Clinics,  

Genetic  Counselling  Centres,  Genetic  Laboratories,  Ultrasonic  

Clinics, Imaging Centres in almost all parts of the country calls  

for more vigil and attention by the authorities under the Act.  

But,  unfortunately,  their  functioning  is  not  being  properly  

monitored or supervised by the authorities under the Act or to  

find  out  whether  they  are  misusing  the  pre-natal  diagnostic  

techniques  for  determination  of  sex  of  foetus  leading  to  

foeticide.

Page 5

5

 The Union of India has filed an affidavit in September 2011  

giving the details of the prosecutions launched under the Act  

and  the  Pre-Conception  and  Pre-Natal  Diagnostic  Techniques  

(Prohibition on Sex-Selection) Rules, 1996 (for short ‘the Rules’),  

up to June 2011.  We have gone through the chart as well as the  

data made available by various States, which depicts a sorry  

and an alarming state of affairs.  Lack of proper supervision and  

effective  implementation  of  the  Act  by  various  States,  are  

clearly  demonstrated  by  the  details  made  available  to  this  

Court.   However,  State  of  Maharashtra  has  comparatively  a  

better track record. Seldom, the ultrasound machines used for  

such sex determination in violation of the provisions of the Act  

are seized and, even if seized, they are being released to the  

violators of the law only to repeat the crime.  Hardly few cases  

end in  conviction.  Cases booked under the Act  are pending  

disposal for several years in many Courts in the country and  

nobody takes any interest in their disposal and hence, seldom,  

those cases end in conviction and sentences, a fact well known  

to the violators of law.   Many of the ultra-sonography clinics

Page 6

6

seldom maintain any record as per rules and, in respect of the  

pregnant women, no records are kept for their treatment and  

the provisions of the Act and the Rules are being violated with  

impunity.    

The  Central  Government  vide  GSR  80(E)  dated  7.2.2002  

issued a notification amending the Act and regulating usage of  

mobile  machines capable of detecting the sex of the foetus,  

including  portable  ultrasonic  machines,  except  in  cases  to  

provide  birth  services  to  patients  when  used  within  its  

registered premises as part of the Mobile Medical Unit offering a  

bouquet  or  other  medical  and  health  services.   The  Central  

Government also vide GSR 418(E) dated 4.6.2012 has notified  

an amendment by inserting a new Rule 3.3(3) with an object to  

regulate illegal registrations of medical practitioners in genetic  

clinics,  and  also  amended  Rule  5(1)  by  increasing  the  

application fee for registration of every genetic clinic, genetic  

counselling  centre,  genetic  laboratory,  ultrasound  clinic  or  

imaging  centre  and  amended  Rule  13  by  providing  that  an  

advance notice by any centre for intimation of every change in

Page 7

7

place, intimation of employees and address.  Many of the clinics  

are totally unaware of those amendments and are carrying on  

the  same  practises.   In  such  circumstances,  the  following  

directions are given:

1. The Central  Supervisory Board and the State and Union  Territories Supervisory Boards, constituted under Sections  7 and 16A of PN&PNDT Act, would meet at least once in six  months, so as to supervise and oversee how effective is  the implementation of the PN&PNDT Act.

2. The  State  Advisory  Committees  and  District  Advisory  Committees  should  gather  information  relating  to  the  breach of the provisions of the PN&PNDT Act and the Rules  and  take  steps  to  seize  records,  seal  machines  and  institute legal proceedings, if they notice violation of the  provisions of the PN&PNDT Act.

3. The  Committees  mentioned  above  should  report  the  details  of the charges framed and the conviction of the  persons  who have  committed  the  offence,  to  the  State  Medical Councils for proper action, including suspension of  the registration of the unit and cancellation of licence to  practice.

Page 8

8

4. The  authorities  should  ensure  also  that  all  Genetic  Counselling  Centres,  Genetic  Laboratories  and  Genetic  Clinics,  Infertility  Clinics,  Scan  Centres  etc.  using  pre- conception  and  pre-natal  diagnostic  techniques  and  procedures  should  maintain  all  records  and  all  forms,  required to be maintained under the Act and the Rules and  the duplicate copies of the same be sent to the concerned  District  Authorities,  in  accordance with  Rule  9(8)  of  the  Rules.

5. States and District Advisory Boards should ensure that all  manufacturers  and sellers  of  ultra-sonography machines  do not  sell  any machine to any unregistered centre,  as  provided under Rule 3-A and disclose, on a quarterly basis,  to  the  concerned  State/Union  Territory  and  Central  Government, a list of persons to whom the machines have  been sold, in accordance with Rule 3-A(2) of the Act.

6. There will be a direction to all Genetic Counselling Centres,  Genetic Laboratories, Clinics etc. to maintain forms A, E, H  and other Statutory forms provided under the Rules and if  these  forms  are  not  properly  maintained,  appropriate  action should be taken by the authorities concerned.

Page 9

9

7. Steps should also be taken by the State Government and  the authorities under the Act for mapping of all registered  and unregistered ultra-sonography clinics, in three months  time.  

8. Steps should be taken by the State Governments and the  Union Territories to educate the people of the necessity of  implementing  the  provisions  of  the  Act  by  conducting  workshops as well as awareness camps at the State and  District levels.

9. Special Cell be constituted by the State Governments and  the  Union Territories to  monitor  the  progress of  various  cases pending in the Courts under the Act and take steps  for their early disposal.

10. The authorities concerned should take steps to seize  the machines which have been used illegally and contrary  to the provisions of the Act and the Rules thereunder and  the  seized  machines can  also  be  confiscated  under  the  provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure and be sold,  in accordance with law.

11. The various Courts in this country should take steps  to dispose of  all  pending cases under  the  Act,  within  a

Page 10

10

period  of  six  months.   Communicate  this  order  to  the  Registrars  of  various  High  Courts,  who  will  take  appropriate  follow up  action  with  due  intimation  to  the  concerned Courts.

All  the  State  Governments  are  directed  to  file  a  status  

report within a period of three months from today.

Ordered accordingly.

............................................J. (K. S. RADHAKRISHNAN)

New Delhi, March 04, 2013.

Page 11

11

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA

EXTRAORDINARY CIVIL WRIT JURISDICTION

WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) NO. 349 OF 2006

Voluntary Health Association of Punjab ... Petitioner

Versus

Union of India and others     ... Respondents

O R D E R

Dipak Misra, J.

I  respectfully  concur  with  the  delineation  and  the  

directions  enumerated  in  seriatim  by  my  respected  

learned  Brother.   However,  regard  being  had  to  the  

signification of the issue, the magnitude of the problem in  

praesenti,  and the colossal cataclysm that  can visit  this  

country in future unless apposite awareness is spread, I  

intend to add something pertaining to the direction No. (8).

2. To have a comprehensive view I  think it  seemly to  

reproduce the said direction: -

Page 12

12

“8. Steps  should  be  taken  by  the  State  Governments  and  the  Union  Territories  to  educate  the  people  of  the  necessity  of  implementing the provisions of the Act by  conducting workshops as well as awareness  camps at the State and District levels.”

3. It is common knowledge that the State Governments  

and Union Territories some times hold workshops as  

well  as  awareness  camps at  the  State  and District  

levels  which  have  the  characteristic  of  a  routine  

performance,  sans  sincerity,  bereft  of  seriousness  

and  shorn  of  meaning.   It  is  embedded  on  data-

orientation.  It does not require Solomon’s wisdom to  

realize  that  there  has  not  yet  been  effective  

implementation of the provisions of the Act, for there  

has not only been total lethargy and laxity but also  

failure on the part of the authorities to give accent on  

social,  cultural,  psychological  and  legal  awareness  

that a female foetus is not to be destroyed for many a  

reason apart from command of the law.  Needless to  

emphasise, there has to be awareness of the legal  

provisions  and  the  consequences  that  have  been  

provided for violation of the Pre-Conception and Pre-

Page 13

13

Natal  Diagnostic  Techniques  (Prohibition  on  Sex-

Selection)  Act,  1994  (for  brevity  “the  Act”)  but,  a  

significant one, the awareness in other spheres are  

absolutely necessitous for concretizing the purposes  

of the Act.   

4. Be it noted, this is not for the first time that this Court  

is showing its concern.  It has also been done before.  

In  Centre  for  Enquiry  into  Health  and  Allied  

Themes (CEHAT) and others  v.  Union of India  

and others1, the two-Judge Bench commenced the  

judgment  stating  that  the  practice  of  female  

infanticide  still  prevails  despite  the  fact  that  the  

gentle  touch  of  a  daughter  and  her  voice  has  a  

soothing  effect  on  the  parents.   The  Court  also  

commented on the immoral and unethical part of it  

as well  as on the involvement of the qualified and  

unqualified  doctors  or  compounders  to  abort  the  

foetus of a girl child.  It is apposite to state here that  

certain directions were given in the said decision.

1  (2001) 5 SCC 577

Page 14

14

5. Female foeticide has its roots in the social thinking  

which is  fundamentally  based on certain  erroneous  

notions, ego-centric traditions, pervert perception of  

societal norms, and obsession with ideas which are  

totally  individualistic  sans  the  collective  good.   All  

involved  in  female  foeticide  deliberately  forget  to  

realize  that  when  the  foetus  of  a  girl  child  is  

destroyed, a woman of future is crucified.  To put it  

differently,  the  present  generation  invites  the  

sufferings  on  its  own  and  also  sows  the  seeds  of  

suffering for the future generation, as in the ultimate  

eventuate, the sex ratio gets affected and leads to  

manifold social problems.  I may hasten to add that  

no awareness campaign can ever be complete unless  

there is real focus on the prowess of women and the  

need for women empowerment.

6. On many an  occasion this  Court  has  expressed its  

anguish over this problem in many a realm.  Dealing  

with  the  unfortunate  tradition  of  demand  of  dowry  

from  the  girl’s  parents  at  the  time  of  marriage

Page 15

15

despite  the  same being  a  criminal  offence,  a  two-

Judge Bench in  State of H.P.  v.  Nikku Ram and  

others2 has expressed its agony thus: -

“Dowry,  dowry  and  dowry.  This  is  the  painful  repetition which confronts,  and at  times haunts, many parents of a girl child  in this holy land of ours where, in good old  days the belief was : “यत्र ना्यरस्तु पजूय्न्ते रमन्ते  तत्र देवता:” [“Yatra  naryastu  pujyante  ramante tatra dewatah”] (where woman is  worshipped,  there  is  abode  of  God).  We  have  mentioned  about  dowry  thrice,  because  this  demand  is  made  on  three  occasions:  (i)  before marriage;  (ii)  at  the  time  of  marriage;  and  (iii)  after  the  marriage.  Greed  being  limitless,  the  demands  become  insatiable  in  many  cases,  followed  by  torture  on  the  girl,  leading to either suicide in some cases or  murder in some.”

The aforesaid passage clearly reflects the degree of  

anguish of this Court in regard to the treatment meted out  

to the women in this country.   

7. It is not out of place to state here that the restricted  

and constricted thinking with regard to a  girl  child  

2  (1995) 6 SCC 219

Page 16

16

eventually leads to female foeticide.  A foetus in the  

womb, because she is likely to be born as a girl child,  

is  not  allowed  to  see  the  mother  earth.   In  M.C.  

Mehta  v.  State  of  Tamil  Nadu  and  others3,  a  

three-Judge Bench, while dealing with the magnitude  

of the problem in engagement of the child labour in  

various hazardous factories or mines, etc., speaking  

through Hansaria, J., commenced the judgment thus:  

-

“I am the child.

All the word waits for my coming.

All  the earth watches with interest  to see  what I shall become.

Civilization hangs in the balance.

For what I  am, the world of tomorrow will  be.

I am the child.

You hold in your hand my destiny.

You  determine,  largely,  whether  I  shall  succeed or fail,

Give me, I pray you, these things that make  for happiness.

3  AIR 1997 SC 699

Page 17

17

Train  me,  I  beg  you,  that  I  may  be  a  blessing to the world.”

8.  The  aforesaid  lines  from  Mamie  Gene  Cole  were  

treated  as  an  appeal  by this  Court  and the  Bench  

reproduced the famous line from William Wordsworth  

“child is the father of the man”.  I have reproduced  

the same to highlight that this Court has laid special  

emphasis on the term “child” as a child feels that the  

entire world waits for his/her coming.  A female child,  

as stated earlier,  becomes a woman.  Its  life-spark  

cannot be extinguished in the womb, for such an act  

would certainly bring disaster to the society.  On such  

an  act  the  collective  can  neither  laugh  today  nor  

tomorrow.  There shall be tears and tears all the way  

because  eventually  the  spirit  of  humanity  is  

comatosed.

9. Vishwakavi  Rabindranath  Tagore,  while  speaking  

about a child, had said thus: -

“Every child comes with the message that  God is not yet discouraged of man.”

Page 18

18

10. Long  back,  speaking  about  human  baby,  Charles  

Dickens had said thus : -

“Every baby born into the world is a finer  one than the last.”

11. A woman has to be regarded as an equal partner in  

the life of a man.  It has to be borne in mind that she  

has also the equal role in the society, i.e., thinking,  

participating  and  leadership.   The  legislature  has  

brought  the  present  piece  of  legislation  with  an  

intention to  provide for  prohibition of  sex selection  

before or after conception and for regulation of pre-

natal  diagnostic  techniques  for  the  purposes  of  

detecting  genetic  abnormalities  or  metabolic  

disorders  or  chromosomal  abnormalities  or  certain  

congenital malformations or sex-linked disorders and  

for  the  prevention  of  their  misuse  for  sex  

determination  leading  to  female  foeticide.   The  

purpose of the enactment can only be actualised and  

its  object  fruitfully  realized  when  the  authorities  

under the Act carry out their functions with devotion,

Page 19

19

dedication  and  commitment  and  further  there  is  

awakened  awareness  with  regard  to  the  role  of  

women in a society.

12. It would not be an exaggeration to say that a society  

that does not respect its women cannot be treated to  

be civilized.  In the first part of the last century Swami  

Vivekanand had said: -

“Just as a bird could not fly with one wing  only, a  nation would not march forward if  the women are left behind.”

13. When a female foeticide takes place, every woman  

who mothers the child  must remember  that  she is  

killing her own child despite being a mother.  That is  

what abortion would mean in social terms.  Abortion  

of a female child in its conceptual eventuality leads to  

killing of a woman.  Law prohibits it; scriptures forbid  

it;  philosophy  condemns  it;  ethics  deprecate  it,  

morality  decries  it  and  social  science  abhors  it.  

Henrik  Ibsen  emphasized  on  the  individualism  of  

woman.  John Milton treated her to be the best of all

Page 20

20

God’s work.  In this context, it will be appropriate to  

quote  a  few  lines  from  Democracy  in  America by  

Alexis De Tocqueville: -

“If  I  were  asked  ...  to  what  the  singular  prosperity  and  growing  strength  of  that  people  [Americans]  ought  mainly  to  be  attributed, I should reply: to the superiority  of their women.”

14. At  this  stage,  I  may  with  profit  reproduce  two  

paragraphs from Ajit Savant Majagvai v. State of  

Karnataka4: -

“3. Social  thinkers,  philosophers,  dramatists,  poets  and  writers  have  eulogised the female species of the human  race  and  have  always  used  beautiful  epithets to describe her temperament and  personality  and  have  not  deviated  from  that path even while speaking of her odd  behaviour, at times. Even in sarcasm, they  have not crossed the literary limit and have  adhered to a particular standard of nobility  of language. Even when a member of her  own species, Madame De Stael, remarked  “I am glad that I am not a man; for then I  should have to marry a woman”, there was  

4  (1997) 7 SCC 110

Page 21

21

wit  in  it.  When  Shakespeare  wrote,  “Age  cannot  wither  her;  nor  custom stale,  her  infinite  variety”,  there  again  was  wit.  Notwithstanding  that  these  writers  have  cried  hoarse  for  respect  for  “woman”,  notwithstanding that Schiller said “Honour  women! They entwine and weave heavenly  roses  in  our  earthly  life”  and  notwithstanding  that  the  Mahabharata  mentioned her as the source of salvation,  crime  against  “woman”  continues  to  rise  and  has,  today  undoubtedly,  risen  to  alarming proportions.

4. It  is unfortunate that in an age where  people  are  described  as  civilised,  crime  against “female” is committed even when  the child is in the womb as the “female”  foetus  is  often  destroyed  to  prevent  the  birth of a female child. If that child comes  into  existence,  she  starts  her  life  as  a  daughter, then becomes a wife and in due  course, a mother. She rocks the cradle to  rear up her infant, bestows all her love on  the child and as the child grows in age, she  gives to the child all  that  she has in her  own  personality.  She  shapes  the  destiny  and character of the child. To be cruel to  such a creature is unthinkable. To torment  a wife can only be described as the most  hated and derisive act of a human being.”

[Emphasis supplied]

Page 22

22

15. In  Madhu Kishwar  v.  State of Bihar5 this  Court  

had stated that Indian women have suffered and are  

suffering discrimination in silence.  Self-sacrifice and  

self-denial  are  their  nobility  and  fortitude  and  yet  

they have been subjected to all inequities, indignities,  

inequality and discrimination.

16. The  way  women  had  suffered  has  been  aptly  

reflected by an author who has spoken with quite a  

speck of sensibility: -

“Dowry is an intractable disease for women,  a bed of arrows for annihilating self-respect,  but without the boon of wishful death.”

17. Long back, Charles Fourier had stated “The extension  

of women’s rights is the basic principle of all social  

progress”.

18. Recapitulating from the past, I  may refer to certain  

sayings  in  the  Smritis  which  put  women  in  an  

elevated position.  This Court in  Nikku Ram’s case  

(supra) had already reproduced the first line of the  5  AIR 1996 SC 1864

Page 23

23

“Shloka”.  The second line of the same which is also  

significant is as follows: -

“यत्र तास्तु न पजूय्न्ते स्वारस्तत्राफला: िक्रया:”

[Yatra tāstu na pūjyante sarvāstatraphalāh kriyāh]

A  free  translation  of  the  aforesaid  is  reproduced  

below:-

“All the actions become unproductive in a  place,  where  they  are  not  treated  with  proper respect and dignity.”

19 Another  wise man of the past  had his own way of  

putting it:  

“भतृभातृिपतृज ाितशवशू शवशुरदेवरै : |  बन धुिबशच  िस्त्रय: पजूय्ा: भूषणाचछादनाशनै: ||”  

[Bhārtr bhratr pitrijnāti śwaśrūswaśuradevaraih|  Bandhubhiśca striyah pūjyāh bhusnachhādanāśnaih||].  

A free translation of the aforesaid is as follows:-

“The women are to be respected equally  on par with husbands, brothers, fathers,  relatives, in-laws and other kith and kin  and  while  respecting,  the  women gifts  like ornaments, garments, etc. should be  given as token of honour.”

Page 24

24

20. Yet again, the sagacity got reflected in following  

lines: -

“अतुलं यत्र तत्तेज: शशशशश शस्वरदेव रीरजम  |

एकस्थं तदभून्नारी व्याप्तलोकत्रयं ित्वषा ||”

[Atulam yatra tattejah śarvadevasarirajam| Ekastham  tadabhūnnāri vyāptalokatrayam tvisā||]

A  free  translation  of  the  aforesaid  is  reproduced  

below:-

“The incomparable valour (effulgence) born  from the  physical  frames  of  all  the  gods,  spreading the three worlds by its radiance  and combining together took the form of a  woman.”

21. From  the  past,  I  travel  to  the  present  and  

respectfully notice what Lord Denning had to say about  

the equality of women and their role in the society: -

“A  woman  feels  as  keenly,  thinks  as  clearly,  as  a  man.   She  in  her  sphere  does work as useful as man does in his.  She has as much right to her freedom –  to develop her personality to the full as a  man.  When she marries, she does not  become the  husband’s  servant  but  his  equal  partner.   If  his  work  is  more

Page 25

25

important in life of the community, her’s  is more important of the family.  Neither  can  do  without  the  other.   Neither  is  above  the  other  or  under  the  other.  They are equals.”

22. I  have  referred  to  certain  pronouncements  of  

this Court, the sayings of the sagacious ones, thinkers,  

poets,  philosophers  and  jurists  about  the  child  and  

women only to emphasise that they play a seminal role  

in  the  society.   The  innocence  of  a  child  and  the  

creative  intelligence  of  a  woman  can  never  ever  be  

brushed aside or marginalized.  Civilization of a country  

is known how it respects its women.  It is the requisite  

of the present day that people are made aware that it  

is  obligatory  to  treat  the  women  with  respect  and  

dignity so that humanism in its conceptual essentiality  

remains alive.  Each member of the society is required  

to develop a scientific  temper in the modern context  

because  that  is  the  social  need  of  the  present.   A  

cosmetic  awareness  campaign  would  never  subserve  

the purpose.  The authorities of the Government, the  

Non-Governmental Organisations and other volunteers

Page 26

26

are  required  to  remember  that  there  has  to  be  

awareness  camps  which  are  really  effective.   The  

people involved with the same must  take it  up as  a  

service, a crusade.  They must understand and accept  

that  it  is an art  as well  as a science and not simple  

arithmetic.   It  cannot  take  the  colour  of  a  routine  

speech.  The awareness camps should not be founded  

on the theory of Euclidian geometry.  It must engulf the  

concept of social vigilance with an analytical mind and  

radiate into the marrows of the society.  If awareness  

campaigns are not appositely conducted, the needed  

guidance for the people would be without meaning and  

things shall fall apart and everyone would try to take  

shelter in cynical escapism.  It is difficult to precisely  

state how an awareness camp is to be conducted.  It  

will  depend upon what kind and strata of people are  

being  addressed  to.   The  persons  involved  in  such  

awareness campaign are required to equip themselves  

with  constitutional  concepts,  culture,  philosophy,  

religion,  scriptural  commands  and  injunctions,  the  

mandate  of  the  law as  engrafted under  the  Act  and

Page 27

27

above all the development of modern science.  It needs  

no special emphasis to state that in awareness camps  

while  the  deterrent  facets  of  law are  required  to  be  

accentuated  upon,  simultaneously  the  desirability  of  

law  to  be  followed  with  spiritual  obeisance,  regard  

being had to the purpose of the Act, has to be stressed  

upon.   The  seemly  synchronization  shall  bring  the  

required effect.  That apart, documentary films can be  

shown to highlight the need; and instill the idea in the  

mind of the public  at  large,  for  when mind becomes  

strong, mountains do melt.  The people involved in the  

awareness  campaigns  should  have  boldness  and  

courage.  There should not be any iota of confusion or  

perplexity in their thought or action.  They should treat  

it  as  a  problem and think  that  a  problem has to be  

understood in  a  proper  manner  to  afford  a  solution.  

They  should  bear  in  mind  that  they  are  required  to  

change the mindset of the people, the grammar of the  

society  and  unacceptable  beliefs  inherent  in  the  

populace.   It  should be clearly  spelt  out  that  female

Page 28

28

foeticide  is  the  worst  type  of  dehumanisation  of  the  

human race.  

23. I have highlighted the aforesaid aspects so that  

when awareness campaigns are held, they are kept in  

view, for that is the object and purpose to have real  

awareness.  

24. The matter be listed as directed.

.............................J. [Dipak Misra]

New Delhi; March 04, 2013.