Madhya Pradesh

• 25 Apr 2023

Madhya Pradesh is Among the Leading States in the Implementation of the Surrogacy Act.

Why in News?

In a meeting of the State Aided Reproductive Technology and Surrogacy Board held in the Ministry under the chairmanship of Public Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Prabhuram Chaudhary on April 24, 2023, it was informed that Madhya Pradesh is among the leading states in the country in the implementation of the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act-2021.

Key points

• It was informed in the meeting that Madhya Pradesh is the first state in the country to notify the State Board, District Appropriate Authority and District Appellate Officer in the Act.
• 74 institutions have been registered under the Act in the state. These institutions include ART banks, ART Level-1 clinics, ART Level-2 clinics and surrogacy clinics.
• Madhya Pradesh is also the first state in the country to determine the process flow and various formats for the surrogacy process in the Act.

Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary will be the New Home of Cheetahs in Madhya Pradesh

Why in News?

According to information received from the media recently, the Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary is now being developed for the cheetahs brought from the African country Namibia and kept in the Sheopur Kuno National Sanctuary (KNP) of Madhya Pradesh.

Key points

• Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that the Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary is being developed for cheetahs and will be ready in the next six months.
• In a meeting with wildlife advisory board officials, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan directed forest officials to develop Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary as a new home for cheetahs in the next six months, a senior forest department official said.
• Media reports said that this step has been taken by the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government to build a new habitat for cheetahs brought from Namibia in Gandhi Sagar after the suggestion of experts. Experts have suggested to the government that the Kuno National Sanctuary is not sufficient for all cheetahs brought from Namibia.
• About Rs 20 crore will be spent in developing Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary to build a new home for cheetahs. The forest department had asked the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to take a decision in this regard.