SRINAGAR: The Union Government has informed Parliament that 17 complaints alleging exploitation of women in connection with Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART), IVF and surrogacy centres have been received across 10 states over the last three years, with Maharashtra accounting for two of the cases.
Responding to an unstarred question by Rajya Sabha member Dr Medha Vishram Kulkarni on July 22, Minister of State for Women and Child Development Savitri Thakur said the complaints involve alleged irregularities, unethical practices and exploitation of women under the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021 and the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021.
The government clarified that “exploitation of women” includes practices causing serious harm or posing risks to women’s life or health, as well as commercial exploitation of surrogate mothers and oocyte (egg) donors. These include illegal extraction of oocytes, repeated ovarian stimulation, commercial surrogacy, trafficking and other violations of the two laws.
According to the reply, the complaints relate to a range of alleged practices, including illegal commercial surrogacy, trafficking of women, illegal egg donation rackets, repeated oocyte donation for financial inducements, illegal extraction of donor oocytes, sale of baby girls, fraudulent embryo transfer procedures, and commercial use of paid intermediaries for egg donation.
The annexure attached to the reply shows that Rajasthan recorded the highest number of complaints with four, followed by Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh with two each. Delhi, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh reported one complaint each.
In Maharashtra, one complaint involved an alleged illegal oocyte donation racket at Malti IVF in Badlapur and Thane. The government said an FIR was registered, the clinic’s licence was cancelled and the matter remains under investigation. The second complaint concerns Siyara Fertility Bank over allegations of repeated oocyte donation and financial inducement of donors, which is also under investigation.
Among other states, Haryana reported alleged illegal commercial surrogacy and unethical IVF practices at Fertility Cure Clinic, Gurugram, where an FIR has been registered and the centre sealed. Kerala reported an illegal surrogacy and oocyte donation racket involving Mamamia ART Bank, where the licence has been cancelled and an FIR registered. Telangana reported an alleged illegal commercial surrogacy racket at Universal Srushti IVF Centre in Hyderabad, with FIRs registered.
The report also lists complaints involving trafficking and illegal commercial surrogacy at two Gaudium Women’s Hospital facilities in Delhi, illegal sale of baby girls and exploitation of surrogate mothers in Karnataka, trafficking and illegal oocyte extraction from young women in Rajasthan, and a fraudulent egg retrieval and embryo transfer procedure at a Nova IVF Fertility Centre in Andhra Pradesh.
Most of the remaining complaints are currently under investigation by the respective State or Union Territory Appropriate Authorities.
The minister told the House that whenever such complaints are received, they are forwarded to the concerned State or UT Appropriate Authority, which is responsible for implementing the ART and Surrogacy Acts. These authorities conduct inspections, verify records, collect evidence and initiate action in accordance with the law.
The government said the 2021 ART and Surrogacy Acts provide a comprehensive regulatory framework aimed at preventing exploitation. Safeguards include mandatory registration of all ART clinics and banks, periodic inspections, suspension or cancellation of licences for violations, prohibition of commercial sale or trafficking of gametes and embryos, mandatory insurance and compensation for surrogate mothers and oocyte donors, informed consent requirements, confidentiality protections, counselling before procedures, and strict limits on embryo transfers and egg donations.
The law also restricts an oocyte donor to a single donation during her lifetime, with no more than seven oocytes permitted to be retrieved, in order to safeguard women’s health.
The reply further noted that the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, 1994 continues to regulate sonography centres and prohibit sex selection. State and Union Territory Appropriate Authorities have powers to inspect ultrasound centres, suspend or cancel registrations and prosecute violators.
To strengthen enforcement, the Centre said it provides financial support to states under the National Health Mission for implementation of the PCPNDT Act, operates a nodal agency to remove illegal online advertisements, conducts regular inspections and reviews, organises training and capacity-building programmes, and runs public awareness campaigns through print and digital media.
