Bill to regulate assisted reproductive tech services passed

The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed a bill that seeks to establish a national board and state boards for the regulation and supervision of ART clinics and ART banks for the safe and ethical practice of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) services.

The Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Bill, 2020 was passed with a voice vote after a reply to the debate by Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya. The minister said that bill has been brought after due consultations and the need to regulate the assisted reproductive technology services is mainly to protect the affected women and children from exploitation.

“If there is no regulation, the unethical practices will increase,” he said. He said the national board and the state board shall be the same as proposed in the Surrogacy Bill, which is pending in the Rajya Sabha. Members of various parties participated in the debate and gave their suggestions. The minister said that the government is open to more suggestions and these can also be considered when the rules are framed for the legislation. The statement of objects and reasons of the bill states that Assisted Reproductive Technology has grown by leaps and bounds in the last few years. India has the highest growth in the ART centres and the number of ART cycles performed every year.

It states that assisted reproductive technology including in-vitro-fertilisation, has given hope to a multitude of persons suffering from infertility, but it has also introduced a plethora of legal, ethical and social issues. India has over the years become one of the major centres of this global fertility industry, with reproductive medical tourism becoming a significant activity.