Haryana Couples Seek Illegal Sex Determination Tests in UP | 16 Jan 2025

Why in News?  

Haryana has witnessed a troubling increase in couples traveling to Uttar Pradesh for illegal sex determination tests. 

• This shift is mainly attributed to the enforcement against female foeticide in Haryana, particularly following the launch of the ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ campaign in January 2015. 

Key Points 

• Over the past decade, Haryana authorities have filed approximately 400 First Information Reports (FIR) related to these illegal activities, with 205 of those lodged in Uttar Pradesh alone. 
• The FIRs have been registered under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, 1994.  
  • It is an act of the Parliament of India that was enacted to stop female foeticides and arrest the declining sex ratio in India. The act banned prenatal sex determination. 
  • Since authorities in Haryana launched a crackdown on illegal sex determination and female foeticide, over 800 FIRs have been registered under the PCPNDT Act, 1994 in the state and more than 4,000 people, including doctors, quacks and touts, have been arrested in the state and outside. 
• However, the ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ initiative has had some success in improving the sex ratio in Haryana, which has risen from 871 girls per 1,000 boys in 2014 to 910 currently.  
  • This increase reflects the ongoing efforts to combat gender discrimination and promote the value of female children.