The Tamil Nadu health department has issued a notice to popular Tamil YouTuber and food vlogger, Irfan, for revealing the gender of his unborn child in a video posted on his social media channel. The gender reveal party, documented in vlogs on his YouTube channel with 4.28 million subscribers, led to legal action for violating the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC-PNDT) Act, which prohibits the determination and disclosure of an unborn baby's gender in India.
The video, posted on May 18, shows Irfan and his wife undergoing a sex determination test at a hospital in Dubai. The couple's Dubai trip and the subsequent gender reveal party in Chennai were featured in the vlogs. Irfan mentioned in the video that while sex determination tests are illegal in India, they are allowed in many other countries. The gender reveal video alone attracted over 2 million views, while the Dubai trip vlog garnered approximately 1.1 million views.
In the video, Irfan expressed his desire for a daughter and shared his joy upon discovering the baby's gender. The State Enforcement Officer and Director of Medical and Rural Health Services issued the notice for breaching the PC-PNDT Act. The health department has directed cybercrime authorities to take down the controversial video from YouTube and has sought clarification from Irfan, recommending police action against him.
The PC-PNDT Act aims to prevent gender-based abortions and ensure the safety and rights of unborn children, making the revelation of an unborn child's gender illegal in India.
