The state initiating an inquiry against an in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) clinic that allegedly duped a childless couple has raised concerns whether stringent regulations for nursing homes and clinics offering Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) need to be brought in. About two weeks back, the union government had informed the Supreme Court that it would soon frame guidelines to regulate such clinics. As far as the city is concerned, clinics offering IVF facility are not even supposed to register with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Only those that have sonography machines need to be registered under the Pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostics Techniques (PCPNDT) Act. Therefore, even if the mushrooming of such clinics across the city is evident, there are no figures to corroborate it. "If the IVF clinics have genetic testing facilities and sonography machines installed, they need to register under the PCPNDT Act, otherwise not,' said Dr Asha Advani of BMC's reproductive health department. Advani added that there were no clear laws to dictate the expertise that IVF centres should possess or about the procedures they should follow. Even the state government did not sound upbeat about ART, which is considered as one of the most sought-after and lucrative field in gynaecology now. "We do not encourage IVF as it is still in research stage,' said Dr Prakash Doke, director general health services, Maharashtra. There are 1,345 centres registered under the PCPNDT Act but not all of them may be offering IVF. There is a concern in the medical fraternity about the commercialisation of this technique and unregulated mushrooming of fertility clinics. The success rate of IVF is believed to be about 32-38% but doctors say many clinics claim up to 60% success rate.