Assisted human reproductive techniques--emerging ethical and legal implications

The unprecedented and rapid advances in medical sciences have revolutionized modern medicine and surgery in a number of ways. These advances such as human embryo cloning, trans-genetic manipulation, in-vitro fertilization and surrogate motherhood have been able to cure infertility to a large extent by offering 'made to measure or super babies' and can cure a number of conventional diseases and improve the quality of life. Scientists and sociologists are concerned about moral and ethical issues, which have arisen due to these advances in medicine. The new biotechnology and the achievements in bio-engineering offered hope to those couples in fulfilling their yearning for children. What we witness today is just the beginning and not the end of the adventurous march of science in unravelling the mysteries of nature. The moot point now is how can nature be engineered to yield positive results without offending values of human morality, ethics and decency. It is high time that governments and society take stock of the current dilemma, as these advances in biosciences pose a threat to the moral and ethical fabric of modern society.