NEW DELHI, INDIA, December 9, 2001: The advertisement in The Times of India offering a product from the United States, a kit that claims to improve the odds of picking your baby’s sex, seems sinister to women’s groups and government agencies here that are fighting discrimination against girls in a society with a powerful preference for sons. A. R. Nanda, a senior civil servant in the health ministry, said today that the advertisement clearly violates a 1994 law against prenatal sex determination tests. Two lawyers have filed a complaint against The Times for printing the ad and Vibha Parthasarathi, the head of the National Commission for Women, an independent body established by Parliament, denounced the product as unethical. The Times replied to its critics today in an unsigned editorial entitled “Sophie’s Choice” contends that Indian laws do not prohibit sex selection techniques used before conception.
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