Now Reading: Blue baby socks ad gets IVF centre’s nine registrations suspended in Rajasthan
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Blue baby socks ad gets IVF centre’s nine registrations suspended in Rajasthan
Blue baby socks ad gets IVF centre’s nine registrations suspended in Rajasthan
Rajasthan health authorities suspended nine registration certificates of Neelkanth Fertility and Women’s Care Hospital, also known as Neelkanth IVF Centre, on Tuesday after a newspaper advertisement showed blue-coloured baby socks, which officials…
Rajasthan health authorities suspended nine registration certificates of Neelkanth Fertility and Women’s Care Hospital, also known as Neelkanth IVF Centre, on Tuesday after a newspaper advertisement showed blue-coloured baby socks, which officials said amounted to promoting sex selection.
Principal Medical and Health Secretary Gayatri Rathore said the department viewed the blue colour as a prima facie indication of promoting sex selection services, a practice completely banned under the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021. The suspended registrations cover ART clinics, ART banks and surrogacy clinics across Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bhilwara, Udaipur, Kota and Ajmer.
The government warned of strict compliance with legal provisions. Neelkanth Hospital, founded in 2003, says it has treated over 25,000 couples.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021, which came into force in early 2022, explicitly bans sex selection at any stage of the ART process, including advertising. Violations can attract suspension or cancellation of registration. Rajasthan's action is among the first under this law against a major fertility chain for an advertising cue. Neelkanth Hospital's network spans nine centres, a prolonged suspension would hit revenue and patient access. The hospital has 30 days to appeal under the Act to the State government's appellate authority, whose decision will signal how strictly this provision will be enforced nationally.
Source: thehindu.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
