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Regulation of advertisement relating to sex-selection directed

In ongoing hearings before the Supreme Court pursuant to the discussion on sex-selection, the Union government had submitted that despite auto-blocking a list of words, one could still avail of information pertaining to gender-tests on the internet. The respondent companies suggested that such searches ought to be protected under the right to freely access information. However, the Supreme Court perceived the issue as a choice between enjoying the right to freely access information and being a catalyst in depleting the sex-ratio in the country. Pending further deliberations, the Court passed interim orders requiring the constitution of a nodal agency to take cognizance of any reports of anything in the nature of advertisement of or having any impact on identification of gender.

Citation: Sabu Mathey George vs Union Of India (2017 ) 2 SCC 514