A bench of Justices Dipak Misra and Amitava Roy said that the nodal agency would inform these search engines about any such advertisements on the websites and Indian arms of Google, Microsoft and Yahoo would delete them within 36 hours.
"We direct the Union of India to constitute a nodal agency which would give advertisments on TV, radio and in newspapers....That if anybody comes across anything which identify a girl or a boy (at pre-natal stage), it should be brought to the notice of the nodal agency.
The apex court, which fixed the matter for further hearing on February 17 next year, said the "interim arrangement" would continue till the issue pertaining to advertisements relating to pre-natal sex determination was "debated" upon before it.
During the hearing, the bench expressed concern over the declining sex ratio and said, "Whether one will have a boy or a girl, that kind of information is not necessary in India. The sex ratio is going down here and we are concerned about that."
"Whatever is prohibited under the Act cannot go through it (websites)," the bench observed, adding, "If anyone comes across anything which offends or has an impact on the sex ratio in India, it shall be removed by the search engines within 36 hours."
Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who was appearing for Google India Pvt Ltd, said they have complied with the earlier order passed by the apex court in the matter and they have already taken steps to block any such advertisements.
to information, unless it is not prohibited under the Act, the bench said this issue has to be debated upon during further hearing.
Advocate Sanjay Parikh, appearing for petitioner Sabu Mathew George who is seeking the court's intervention in view of decreasing sex ratio, claimed that despite the order of the apex court, one can see advertisements and information pertaining to gender determination on such websites.
He said that the search engines were raising the issue of commerical angle and freedom of access to information.
During the hearing, the bench also asked the Centre about what steps it has taken in this regard.
He said that the Centre has filed an affidavit in this regard before the court.
The apex court had on September 19 said that these search engines were under "obligation" to check advertisements about pre-natal sex determination in India and had directed them to to develop in-house methods to prohibit such content.
The direction had come after Solicitor General (SG) Ranjit Kumar had said that these search engines have agreed to follow the law on sex determination and would not allow advertisement or "publish any content" on the issue on their respective search engines.
He had also submitted a list of "proposed" 43 key words in respect of which, when commands are given, there would be "auto block" with a warning and nothing would be reflected on the internet.
The lawyers appearing for the online search engines had informed the court that if anyone fed any of the proposed 43 keywords, the principle of 'auto block' would be immediately applied and such advertisements and messages would not be shown.
The apex court also took note of submissions of the
Solicitor General who said that a paragraph in the additional affidavit of Google India Pvt Ltd "contravene the letter and spirit as enshrined under section 22 of the Act".
The bench, however, allowed Google India's contention and granted it three weeks to file a clarificatory affidavit.
The apex court had earlier asked these search engines to "delete" within 36 hours the advertisements hosted by them pertaining to pre-natal sex determination in India and had directed the Centre to appoint a nodal agency to monitor the websites.
The court was hearing a petition by Sabu Mathew George, a doctor, who is seeking the apex court's intervention in view of the falling sex ratio in the country.
His counsel had earlier claimed that despite the order of the apex court, one can see advertisements and information pertaining to gender determination on such websites.
The court had on September 19 last year said these search engines were under "obligation" to check advertisements about pre-natal sex determination in India and directed them to develop in-house methods to prohibit such content.