Jaipur, August 26: The Rajasthan government has taken stringent action against ‘Neelkanth Fertility and Woman Care Hospital Private Limited’ for initial violations of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) and surrogacy service regulations.
Nine registration certificates linked to the hospital’s ART clinic, ART bank, and surrogacy clinic have been suspended with immediate effect until further notice.
Gajendra Singh Khivsar, the state’s Minister of Medical and Health, stated that the government is committed to ensuring strict adherence to established standards and legal provisions in healthcare services.
This action follows preliminary evidence of violations related to the regulation of ART and surrogacy services in Rajasthan.
Gaayatri Rathore, the Principal Secretary of Medical and Health, explained that the suspension was enacted due to alleged breaches of the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021.
She further mentioned that an advertisement in an English newspaper’s Jaipur edition featured a blue-colored embryo, which was interpreted as promoting gender selection services, as blue is commonly associated with boys. This prompted the initiation of action against ‘Neelkanth Fertility and Woman Care Hospital Private Limited.’ The law prohibits gender selection and gender-based ART procedures.
Rathore confirmed that the registrations of nine ART and surrogacy facilities operated by the hospital have been suspended.
These facilities are located in Jaipur, Bhilwara, Udaipur, Kota, Jodhpur, and Ajmer.
The suspended registrations include Level-1 ART clinic facilities in Bhilwara, Kota, Udaipur, Ajmer, and Jodhpur; Level-2 ART clinic facilities in the same locations; two Level-2 ART clinics in Jaipur; one surrogacy clinic in Jaipur; and one ART bank in Jaipur.
The department emphasized that the operation of ART and surrogacy services in the state must strictly comply with applicable laws, regulations, and ethical standards.
Any promotion of prohibited practices, including gender selection, will not be tolerated in any form, direct or indirect.
The state government reiterated its commitment to take strict action against institutions violating legal provisions. It aims to ensure safe, transparent, and high-quality reproductive health services while strengthening compliance with legal and ethical standards across all institutions providing ART and surrogacy services.
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