Question Discussion & Solution

The correct answer is 20th September 1994.

• Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act was enacted on 20th September 1994.

Key Points

• Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, 1994:
  • An Act to provide for the prohibition of sex selection, before or after conception, and for the regulation of prenatal diagnostic techniques for the purposes of detecting genetic abnormalities or metabolic disorders or chromosomal abnormalities or certain congenital malformations or sex-linked disorders and for the prevention of their misuse for sex determination leading to female foeticide; and, for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. ​

Additional Information

• Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, 1994 is an Act of the Parliament of India enacted to stop female foeticides and arrest the declining sex ratio in India.
  • The act banned prenatal sex determination.
  • Every genetic counselling centre, genetic laboratory or genetic clinic engaged in counselling or conducting pre-natal diagnostics techniques, like in vitro fertilisation (IVF) with the potential of sex selection (Preimplantation genetic diagnosis) before and after conception comes under the preview of the PCPNDT Act and are banned.

The correct answer is Section 354.

• IPC Section 354: Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty.

Key Points

• Whoever assaults or uses criminal force to any woman, intending to outrage or knowing it to be likely that he will thereby outrage her modesty, shall be punished with impris­onment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.

Additional Information

• Rape (Section 376, 376A, 376B, 376C, 376D)
• Kidnapping (Sec. 359, 360 366)
• Assault to outrage modesty (Sec.354, 354B)
• Domestic violence (Sec. 498A)
• Sexual harassment (Sec. 354A)

The correct answer is Domestic violence.

• It is an Act of the Parliament of India enacted to protect women from domestic violence.
• It was brought into force by the Indian government on 26 October 2006.
• The Act provides for the first time in Indian law a definition of domestic violence, with this definition being broad and including not only physical violence, but also other forms of violence such as emotional/verbal, sexual, and economic abuse.
• It is a civil law meant primarily for protection orders and not meant to be enforced criminally.
• In October 2016, the Supreme Court has made a verdict to delete the words “adult male” before the word ‘person’ in Section 2(q) of the Act making it gender-neutral.

Important Points

• Salient features of Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005:
  • Includes physical and mental ill-treatment.
  • Primarily meant for the protection of wife or female live-in partners.
  • Law also extends to sisters, widows, or mothers.
  • Harassment in the form of dowry demands also included in this law.
  • Gives women the right to secure housing.
  • The court can also issue protection orders that prevent the abuser to harass the women by acts at her workplace.
  • The act proposes the appointment of protection officers and NGOs.
  • A breach of a protection order is a non-bailable offence. 

The correct answer is 12.

Key Points 

• The Ordinance amends the IPC, 1860 to increase the minimum punishment for rape of women from seven years to ten years.
• Rape and gang rape of girls below the age of 12 years will carry minimum imprisonment of twenty years and is extendable to life imprisonment or death.
• Rape of girls below the age of 16 years is punishable with imprisonment of twenty years or life imprisonment.

Additional Information 

• 376DB: Punishment for gang rape on women under twelve years of age.
  • Where a woman under twelve years of age is raped by one or more persons constituting a group or acting in furtherance of a common intention, each of those persons shall be deemed to have committed the offence of rape and shall be punished with imprisonment for life, which shall mean imprisonment for the remainder of that person’s natural life, and with fine, or with death.
  • Such fine shall be just and reasonable to meet the medical expenses and rehabilitation of the victim: 
    • Any fine imposed under this section shall be paid to the victim.

The correct answer is Civil Court.

Key Points 

• Sexual harassment at a workplace is considered a violation of women's right to equality, life, and liberty.
• It creates an insecure and hostile work environment, which discourages women's participation in work, thereby adversely affecting their social and economic empowerment and the goal of inclusive growth.
• With this idea, the legislature formulated the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act 2013.
• 'Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace', Civil court has been empowered to collect evidence to complaints committees set up under this Act.
• The Complaints Committees have the powers of civil courts for gathering evidence.

Additional Information 

• Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013
  • The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 is a legislative act in India that seeks to protect women from sexual harassment at their place of work.
  • It was passed by the Lok Sabha (the lower house of the Indian Parliament) on 3 September 2012.
  • It was passed by the Rajya Sabha (the upper house of the Indian Parliament) on 26 February 2013.
  • The Bill got the assent of the President on 23 April 2013.
  • The Act came into force on 9 December 2013.
  • This statute superseded the Vishaka Guidelines for Prevention Of Sexual Harassment (POSH) introduced by the Supreme Court (SC) of India.
  • It was reported by the International Labour Organization that very few Indian employers were compliant with this statute.