Wanted sons, unwanted daughters: sex determination takes digital turn

The persistent preference for a male child, deeply entrenched in India's socio-cultural fabric, has unfortunately found a new and insidious avenue for perpetuation: the digital realm. This alarming trend, where sex determination has shifted from clandestine clinics to online platforms, underscores the enduring challenge India faces in achieving true gender equality and enforcing its progressive social legislation.

Historically, the preference for sons in India stems from a complex interplay of economic, social, and religious factors. Sons are often seen as providers, inheritors of property, caregivers for parents in old age, and perpetuators of the family lineage. Daughters, conversely, have traditionally been viewed as an economic burden due to dowry demands and the custom of moving to the husband's family after marriage. This deep-seated bias led to widespread female foeticide and infanticide, particularly after the advent of ultrasound technology made prenatal sex determination possible. Recognizing the grave implications for the demographic balance and women's status, the Indian government enacted the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, 1994 (PC&PNDT Act). This Act strictly prohibits the use of prenatal diagnostic techniques for determining the sex of the fetus and penalizes both those who perform and those who seek such procedures.

Despite the PC&PNDT Act, the male child preference has continued, albeit often covertly. What's happening now is a disturbing evolution: the illicit practice has migrated online. Hundreds of videos, advertisements, and 'products' promoting sex selection, often disguised as fertility tips or astrological predictions, are surfacing on various digital platforms. These online spaces offer a veil of anonymity, making detection and prosecution significantly harder than monitoring physical clinics. The government's recent scrutiny of this online content highlights the new frontier in the battle against sex-selective practices.

Several key stakeholders are involved in this complex issue. The **Government of India**, particularly the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (responsible for the PC&PNDT Act) and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY, for regulating online content under the IT Act, 2000), bears the primary responsibility for enforcement. **Technology companies** (social media platforms, video hosting sites, e-commerce platforms) are crucial, as they must develop and implement robust content moderation policies to identify and remove illegal content. **Medical professionals and quacks** who might be leveraging digital platforms to offer illegal services are also direct perpetrators. Finally, **families and individuals** who continue to harbor a preference for sons are the demand-side drivers of this illicit market. **Civil society organizations and NGOs** play a vital role in raising awareness, monitoring violations, and advocating for stricter enforcement and social change.

This digital shift holds immense significance for India. Socially, it perpetuates and exacerbates gender inequality, further devaluing female lives and undermining efforts towards women's empowerment. Demographically, it contributes to the already alarming decline in the Child Sex Ratio (CSR), which stood at 918 females per 1000 males in 2011 (though showing some improvement to 934 in NFHS-5, 2019-21, the issue persists in many regions). A skewed sex ratio has long-term consequences, including a 'bride shortage,' increased violence against women, human trafficking, and social instability. From a governance perspective, this presents a formidable challenge in enforcing laws in the vast and often borderless digital space, requiring enhanced digital surveillance, inter-ministerial coordination, and international cooperation. Economically, a declining female population impacts the workforce and overall human capital development, hindering India's potential.

Constitutionally, the practice of sex selection violates fundamental rights enshrined in the Indian Constitution. **Article 14** guarantees equality before the law, and **Article 15** prohibits discrimination on grounds of sex, among others. Sex-selective practices deny the fundamental right to life and dignity of a girl child, violating **Article 21**. Furthermore, the Directive Principles of State Policy, particularly **Article 39**, which mandates the state to secure equal rights and opportunities for men and women, are undermined. The **PC&PNDT Act, 1994**, remains the primary legal instrument to combat this, bolstered by provisions of the **Information Technology Act, 2000**, which can be used to tackle online promotion of illegal activities. Government initiatives like the 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' scheme launched in 2015 directly aim to address the declining CSR and promote the education and empowerment of girls.

The future implications are stark. Without robust action, the digital realm could become an unchecked sanctuary for illegal sex determination, making it even harder to monitor and prosecute offenders. This necessitates a multi-pronged approach: stronger legislative frameworks that specifically address cyber-crimes related to sex selection, enhanced technical capabilities for digital surveillance and content moderation, greater accountability for technology platforms, and most importantly, continued and intensified efforts to change societal mindsets regarding gender preference through education, awareness campaigns, and promoting the value of the girl child. India's commitment to gender equality and its ability to adapt its governance mechanisms to the digital age will be severely tested by this challenge.