Women's panel sets up expert committee for IVF sector after Gurugram baby mi up
The Commission for Women (NCW) has constituted a high-level expert committee to review the regulatory framework governing In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) clinics, Assisted Reproductive Technology
The Commission for Women (NCW) has constituted a high-level expert committee to review the regulatory framework governing In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) clinics, Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) centres and sperm and egg banks amid growing concerns over irregularities in the fertility treatment sector. The move comes days after India Today TV reported an IVF fraud case in Gurugram, where a couple claimed that DNA tests revealed the IVF-conceived twins were not biologically theirs. Read Full Story The committee, headed by former Delhi High Court judge Justice Asha Menon, comprises experts from the judiciary, medicine, forensic science, law enforcement, gynaecology, public policy and the Union Health Ministry. The panel will examine the implementation of the ART (Regulation) Act, 2021, the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021, and the 2026 amendment rules. Announcing the committee, the NCW flagged concerns over unethical practices, the rise of medical tourism, possible circumvention of legal safeguards including sex selection, lack of uniform treatment protocols, financial exploitation of patients, and inadequate regulatory oversight in the IVF sector.
The committee will review existing safeguards relating to informed consent, privacy, and biological traceability, identify gaps in the current regulatory framework, and recommend legal and policy reforms. It will also formulate Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and best-practice guidelines to enhance transparency, ensure ethical treatment, and standardise clinical protocols across IVF and ART centres. According to the NCW, the committee's recommendations are expected to strengthen governance of the ART ecosystem while safeguarding the rights, dignity, and safety of women seeking fertility treatment in India, where infertility affects an estimated 2.8 crore people and around 3 to 3.5 lakh IVF cycles are carried out every year. Apart from procedural irregularities plaguing the sector, IVF treatment is also pushing many Indian couples into debt. A government report has warned that nearly nine out of 10 couples undergoing IVF face significant financial strain.
According to experts, India's IVF market is largely dominated by private, self-funded providers, making treatment costs prohibitively expensive for many families and that final bills often exceed package prices by 30 to 60 per cent, placing an additional financial burden on couples seeking fertility treatment. GURUGRAM COUPLE CLAIMS DNA TEST SHOWED IVF TWINS NOT BIOLOGICALLY THEIRS A Gurugram couple, Rahul Rathore and his wife, have alleged that their twin daughters born through IVF are not biologically theirs. They claimed they became suspicious after noticing that one of the twins did not resemble either parent and later underwent a DNA test. According to the couple, they underwent IVF treatment at a reputed hospital last year, with embryos implanted in May 2025. The woman gave birth to twin girls in January 2026. However, a DNA test allegedly showed that neither the maternity nor paternity samples matched the children.
The BriefWire