Drop in Sex Ratio in Haryana | 06 Jan 2024

Why in News?

9 out of 22 districts of Haryana recorded a drop in Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB).Though the state’s overall SRB remained consistent at 916 (the national SRB is 933).

• Gurgaon, on the other hand, recorded a rise from 925 in 2022 to 928 in 2023.

Key Points

• Northern and central districts such as Sirsa, Fatehabad, Sonipat, Yamunanagar, Hisar, Bhiwani, Rohtak, Jind and Charkhi Dadri saw a fall in the number of girls born.
• Since the 2011 Census, the gap between boys and girls in Haryana has been a cause for concern. The state's sex ratio at birth of 834 is the lowest in the country, which led to the state launching a stringent crackdow against female foeticide.
• In 2015, ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ was launched with the Centre’s support to bring about social change.
  • In 2015, from 876, the state’s sex ratio at birth climbed to 900 in 2016, followed by 914 in 2017.
  • It remained the same in 2018 but improved to 923 in 2019.
  • After that, it saw a dip again from 922 in 2020 to 914 in 2021.
  • At 916, the SRB showed a slight improvement in 2022 and continued to stay in the same mark 2023 as well.
• According to the officials, a total of 17 cases were filed under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC-PNDT) Act, 1994.
  • Around 2,387 raids were conducted on clinics carrying out sex determination tests in the last five years across the state. Out of these, 487 raids were in other states.
  • A total of 1,376 First Information Reports (FIR) were also registered for sex determination and use of medical termination of pregnancy kits across Haryana.
• The government needs to further strengthen the PCPNDT Act and should take strong legal action against illegal abortions.
• It is essential to organize awareness campaigns. The key is to conduct these initiatives and regularly monitor the progress.