Figures don’t lie, ‘Beti Bachao’ a hit

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 13

In a huge leap forward on the road to improved sex ratio at birth (SRB), the state has logged the highest-ever ratio of 914 girls per 1,000 boys in 2017. It was 900 in 2016 and 876 in 2015.

It is a matter of pride and a major jump from 2011 for Haryana, having worst gender ratio among all states at 834 per 1,000, as per the 2011 Census.

The state witnessed a remarkable increase of 82 points in SRB during the last five years with nine districts improving SRB by 100 points or more, an official spokesman said here today.

Of the 5,09,290 children born in the state in 2017, 2,66,064 were boys and 2,43,226 girls, showing a marked improvement in SRB, which jumped from 871 to 914, a marvellous increase of 43 points since the launch of “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao”.

While 17 districts achieved SRB of 900 or more, no district was below 880 in 2017. Panipat with SRB of 945 topped the list, followed by Yamunanagar with 943. Mahendragarh, Rewari, Sonepat and Jhajjar districts, having child sex ratio below 800, as per the 2011 Census, showed marked improvement of 136, 91, 88 and 96 points, respectively, in SRB.

Soon after the launch of “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” in 2015, the government embarked upon a multi-pronged drive to improve the skewed sex ratio.

It conducted raids on illegal ultrasound centres, trapped those running ultrasound and scanning institutes, registered FIRs against offenders, unearthed the nexus of culprits engaged in sex selection and female foeticide and followed up FIRs till court judgment.

It was found that apart from radiologists and doctors, a nexus comprising quacks, untrained health workers, laboratory or x-ray technicians and operation theatre assistants conducted illegal gender determination tests.

Such rackets were busted and portable, affordable and handy ultrasound machines found illegally used by these quacks or untrained paramedics for sex detection purposes confiscated during raids across and outside the state.

A total of 550 FIRs were registered, which included 126 raids in five adjoining states, the official said. Over 200 FIRs under the MTP Act were registered across the state in the last more than two years. The state had achieved conviction in more than 20 cases so far.