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State sees 39-point rise in sex ratio, but expert says scheme has 'lost steam'

10 years of 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao'
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Ten years after Prime Minister Narendra Modi chose Panipat to launch the flagship Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (BBBP) programme, aimed at addressing the nationwide gender imbalance, Haryana has reason to cheer, with a 39-point rise in its sex ratio since 2015.

However, the sex ratio at birth (SRB), which climbed up from 871 (2015) to 910 per 1000 (2024) in the last decade, has started to slip, witnessing a slight dip annually over the last three years.

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While the sex ratio at birth rose significantly between 2015 and 2019, rising by 52 points to touch 923 per 1000, it has seen a downward trend, and the lowest sex ratio of 910 per 1000 was recorded in 2024 — the lowest in the last eight years.

However, sources in the Women and Child Department (WCD) maintained that the slight fluctuation in sex ratio was no reason for worry since Haryana was already way ahead of the target given by the Centre.

“We had been given the target of improving SRB by two points annually, meaning thereby that a target of a 20-point increase had been set. Against that, we have nearly doubled it to close at a 39-point increase in 10 years. The state has also achieved all its other targets,” an official said.

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While the institutional deliveries have increased to attain the target of 95 per cent, the targets for increasing enrolment and reducing dropout rates in secondary education, as also raising awareness and access to menstrual hygiene, have been accomplished.

The best practices of the state will be showcased at a programme to mark the achievements of the 10 years of the programme, focused on correcting gender imbalance, empowering girls, and driving societal transformation, in Delhi tomorrow.

The Commissioner and Secretary of the department, Amneet P Kumar, said, “Haryana has done well by achieving all its targets on the parameters the Government of India uses to evaluate the BBBP scheme."

Though the districts of Faridabad, Gurugram, Rohtak, Rewari and Charkhi Dadri have a sex ratio of less than 900, and there has been a drop of six points (910 per 1000 in 2024) over 2023, when it stood at 916, the WCD and the Health Department maintain that there was no reason for concern.

“The state focused on the task on hand and managed to increase the sex ratio, despite the social challenges. The ratio is not like stock market, which we can monitor every day. Even though it fell by six points last year, it has shown an upward swing in November and December. In the overall tally, we have achieved double the target set for us, achieving a jump of 39 points. We have done well and the focus on inspections, raids and IEC programmes will continue,” said Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Sudhir Rajpal.

While the state seems satisfied with the progress made in the last decade, Jagmati Sangwan of All India Democratic Women's Association , who works on women’s issues in Haryana, said the BBBP scheme seemed promising initially. “Things did look up in the first few years, but the sex ratio has seen a downward trend since 2019. The result of the merger of schools at the primary level and their closure will reflect in the dropout rate a couple of years from now, while not many girls pursue higher education. The programme has lost steam along the way and nobody remembers the extended slogan of ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao, Beti Khilao’ given after Haryana’s girl players brought back medals from Rio Olympics,” she added.

'Towards equitable future'

“The government is committed to empowering women and creating a society where daughters are celebrated, educated, and given equal opportunities. We are proud to reflect on the innovative steps taken to ensure the programme's success. One such initiative is 'Mahri Laddo', a groundbreaking platform amplifying the voices of women and girls through community-driven radio programmes. This decade of progress is just the beginning—together, we will continue to pave the way for a brighter, more equitable future.” — Shruti Chaudhary, Minister for Women and Child Development

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