THE PRE-NATAL DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES (REGULATION AND PREVENTION OF MISUSE) ACT, 1994 (ACT NO. 57 OF 1994) AND THE PRE-NATAL DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES (REGULATION AND PREVENTION OF MISUSE) AMENDMENT ACT, 2002 (No.14 OF 2003) [20th September, 1994] An Act to provide for the prohibition of sex selection, before or after conception, and for 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. BE it enacted by Parliament in the Forty-fifth Year of the Republic of India as follows:— CHAPTER I PRELIMINARY 1. Short title, extent and commencement.- (1) This Act may be called the Pre-conception and Prenatal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, 1994. (2)It shall extend to the whole of India except the State of Jammu and Kashmir. (3)It shall come into force on such date as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint. 2. Definitions.- In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,— (a) “Appropriate Authority” means the Appropriate Authority appointed under section 17; (b) “Board” means the Central Supervisory Board constituted under section 7; (ba) ”conceptus” means any product of conception at any stage of development from fertilization until birth including extra embryonic membranes as well as the embryo or foetus; (bb) “embryo” means a developing human organism after fertilization till the end of eight weeks (fifty-six days);