Gender ratio goes down

Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Sirsa, July 30

Despite serious efforts to curb female foeticide under Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign, the sex ratio at birth (SRB) in most districts of the state has not shown any significant change in the past year.

A comparative study of the civil registration system (CRS) data of various districts of Haryana for SRB till June 2014 and June 2015 does not reflect any major improvement. Rather, in some districts number of girls born against boys has gone down.

CM Manohar Lal Khattar had set a target of achieving a SRB of 950 within one year during videoconferencing with the district officials and had put the onus for it on the DCs.

However, SRB which was 890 girls against 1000 boys in Sirsa till June, 2014 has slipped to a poor 877 in June, 2015 pointing to deterioration in the situation.

In Rohtak too it decreased from 889 to 852, Faridabad (890 to 848), Jind (902 to 862), Kurukshstra (888 to 862), Ambala (902 to 888), Gurgaon (839 to 812), Kaithal (918 to 893), Karnal (896 to 894), Panipat (914 to 901) and Rohtak (889 to 848).

However, some districts witnessed an improvement in the SRB ranging from good to not very significant.

Fatehabad witnessed an improvement from 874 to 904, Bhiwani (832 to 873), Hisar (880 to 884), Jhajjar (811 to 847), Mahindragarh (770 to 803), Palwal (875 to 885), Sonepat (835 to 843) and Yamunanagar (869 to 888). Mewat which topped the table with SRB of 918 till June 2014 improved it further to 929 in 2015.

Rewari which was among the districts with the lowest SRB of 802 in 2014 witnessed a dip to 796 in 2015.

The overall SRB in Haryana witnessed a decrease from 874 in 2014 to 869 this year. Dr Yogendra Malik, CMs aide in the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Abhiyan, said the results of the efforts would take some time to fructify.

“Birth of baby is a process that takes nine months. Normally, people go for sex test of foetus after the first trimester. We are expecting the improved results to come in by October,” he said.