Chandigarh, November 25– A 57-point rise in the ‘sex-ratio at birth in last 5 years (females per 1,000 males) for infant girl in Haryana as per recently released National Family Health Survey-5 (2020-2021), evidently reflects the effective implementation of Beti, Bachao – Beti, Padhao Yojana, launched by Prime Minister, Sh. Narendra Modi in January, 2015. The Campaign was launched by the Prime Minister from Panipat when the State of Haryana was coping with a low sex ratio as per the Census 2011. However, regular monitoring of the Campaign, under the dynamic leadership of Chief Minister, Sh. Manohar Lal combined with the conscientious and diligent efforts of the Deputy Commissioners has been rewarding. Such a significant improvement in changing the mindset towards girl-child in a society is rarely seen.
The Chief Minister, Sh. Manohar Lal congratulated the officers involved in this campaign and said that the Beti,Bachao-Beti Padhao Campaign will continue and the State will soon reach the 950 mark in gender ratio at birth (girl child).
Soon after the launch of the Campaign, proactive measures were taken to enhance the gender ratio and to completely wipe out the menace of female foeticide. Speaking in this regard, Additional Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Dr. Amit Agarwal said that a cell was immediately constituted in this regard and it started functioning in May 2015. Thereafter, comprehensive steps were taken to eradicate the malpractice of sex-determination and female foeticide under the Pre-Conception & Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PNDT) Act and Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act. He shared that in last five years about 1,000 raids were conducted of which 275 raids were interstate raids and 970 FIRs were registered with regard to sex-determination and MTP. He elaborated that the gender ratio at birth (girl child) of Haryana was 871 in December, 2014 as per the Civil Registration System (CRS) which has now improved to 922 in December, 2020.
Meanwhile, as per the National Family Health Survey-4 (2015-1016) the gender ratio at birth for children born in last five years (females per 1,000 males) was 836 while it has increased by 57 points to 893 in the National Family Health Survey-5 (2020-2021). Besides conducting raids to curtail sex-determination effective steps were taken to curb the administration of sex selection drugs (SSD). For this, more than 80 raids were conducted. Also, volunteers were used as decoys to identify the Diagnostic Centres etc conducting sex determination tests and an incentive of Rs 1 lakh was given to informers in the State for giving information about it. Thus, in the last five years around Rs 3 crore has been given to such informers. Besides this, women excelling in sports like hockey and wrestling has also had a massive impact on changing the mindsets thereby enhancing the ‘sex-ratio at birth’. Other initiatives like Laadli, Aapki Beti-Humari Beti has also played a pivotal role in enhancing the gender-ratio.
No. IPRDH/2021
Swati Mahajan
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