Meet internet giants and ensure sex determination content is removed: SC to nodal agency

Section 22 of the PCPNDT Act pertains to prohibition of advertisements relating to pre-natal determination of sex and punishment for contravention.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday told the nodal agency, set up by the Union Government to remove sex determination content online, to meet internet giants Google, Yahoo and Microsoft and ensure deletion of materials violating Indian laws.

The apex court asked the nodal agency to convene a meeting within six-weeks.

The government had in September informed the Supreme Court that it has set up a nodal agency to redress complaints seeking deletion of materials violating Indian laws prohibiting pre-natal sex determination, from search engines and websites.

In February this year, the apex court ordered all companies to immediately constitute in-house expert bodies to identify and block keywords indicative of sex determination.

In November, the court had directed companies such as Google India, Yahoo India and Microsoft Corp. India Pvt. Ltd to remove such advertisements within 36 hours of receiving the complaint from a government nodal agency set up to monitor pre-natal sex determination advertisements.

Section 22 of the PCPNDT Act pertains to the prohibition of advertisements relating to pre-natal determination of sex and punishment for contravention.

The court was hearing a petition by Sabu Mathew George, a doctor who is seeking the apex court's intervention in view of the falling sex ratio in the country.

OneIndia News