SC to hear PIL seeking ban on websites hosting pre-natal sex determination sites

New Delhi: The Supreme Court will on Thursday hear a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking a ban on foreign websites which are soliciting couples to undergo sex determination tests.

The PIL was filed in 2008 by petitioner Sabu Mathew George, complaining that such sites are banned under the Indian laws.

The apex court had earlier directed the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to set up a "nodal agency" to enforce the ban on commercial advertisements and all forms of information on internet relating to "pre-natal sex determination" tests to find out whether a fetus is a boy or girl.

The bench did not accept the arguments of tech giants Google, Yahoo and Microsoft that such ban would violate the right to freedom of information, and said this aspect will be considered later.

The apex court said the nodal agency can be alerted by any person on such information available on the internet.