In a bid to control AIDS and create awareness on AIDS across the State, the Maharashtra Health Ministry has decided to conduct Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) test compulsory before marriage. The law will be enforced within the next six months. Also, a panel headed by Vimaltai Mundada, Minister for Public Health, pointed out the urgency to educate the school students about HIV.

The panel, which constituted 15 MLAs, an advocate and two doctors, took the decision at a meeting held in Mumbai. Sensitive issues like social stigma attached to the test and human rights issues were discussed at length in the two-hour meeting of the committee.

A joint decision will be taken later as to whether couples will need to produce their medical certificate at the time of the registration of marriage.

If the proposed plan is made on law, Maharashtra would be the first state in the country to have such a scheme. The Government of Andhra Pradesh and Goa had also announced similar plans a couple of years ago, but given up them on the mid way.