Is it an offence to remove foetus or commit acts leading to infanticide?
A.Yes. The Indian Penal Code, 1860, the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, 1971, the Prenatal Diagnostic Techniques (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Act, 1994 prohibit illegal acts leading to female foeticide and infanticide and provides punishment to the perpetrators. The MTP Act permits medical termination of pregnancy by a Registered Medical Practitioner (RMP) in limited circumstances such as, danger to the mother’s life; substantial risk to the child being born; where pregnancy is the result of rape; failure of contraception etc.