Challenge on age cap on women's reproductive rights: SC seeks response
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New Delhi: After a plea challenged the age restriction of 35 years on women's reproductive rights for conducting pre-conception and pre-natal diagnostic tests, the Supreme Court sent the Union government notice, seeking a response, PTI reported.
The plea, filed by advocate Meera Kaura Patel, contented that the age restriction of 35 years in Section 4(3)(i) of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, 1994 is a restriction on the reproductive rights of women. A bench of Justices SK Kaul and Abhay S Oka issued notice to the Centre and others on the plea.
The plea said, "She refers to Section 4(3)(i) of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, 1994, to contend that the age restriction of 35 years is a restriction on the reproductive rights of women and in view of the recent judgment of this Court...Issue notice restricted to the aforesaid aspect."
As per the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, no pre-natal diagnostic techniques shall be used or conducted unless the age of the pregnant woman is above 35 years.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had pronounced a significant ruling on the reproductive rights of women, holding that all women are entitled to safe and legal abortion till 24 weeks of pregnancy under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act and making any distinction on the basis of their marital status is unconstitutional.