Under a new proposal in India, women would be required to register their pregnancies and would need permission from the government for an abortion. Proponents of this proposal said that it would curb abortions of female fetuses in a society where boys are traditionally preferred.

According to Renuka Chowdhury, India's women and child development minister, it will help to check both feticide and infant mortality. "With this, mysterious abortions will become difficult."

However, in an editorial published today by the A Times of India newspaper entitled "Abort the silly proposal," the proposal was knocked as "ridiculous" and that fetal gender screening is already a criminal offense that is not strictly enforced.

Boys in Indian society are more valued because they do not need dowry payments. Many poor families have been bankrupted after their daughter marry.

"In the name of protecting the girl child, the state must not fall into the trap of disempowering women," the editorial said.