Haryana's 'Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao' Campaign Boosts Sex Ratio

Chandigarh, Jul 1 (PTI) The Haryana government has launched a vigorous statewide campaign titled 'Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao', aiming to enhance the sex ratio, with efforts driven by the Health and Women and Child Development departments.

A series of awareness rallies and marches have been organized in public parks across Haryana, featuring banners that prominently display the sex ratio of each district. The goal is to engage the public and reinforce the importance of valuing the girl child. Additionally, the Women and Child Development Department is leading focused campaigns on social media through the platforms of all deputy commissioners in the state to amplify this pivotal message.

This information surfaced during the weekly meeting of the state task force (STF), dedicated to improving Haryana's sex ratio, chaired by Additional Chief Secretary of Health and Family Welfare, Sudhir Rajpal. Notably, Haryana's sex ratio has improved from 904 last year to 906 within the period from January 1 to June 30, 2025, as stated in an official release.

The meeting also emphasized intensifying efforts to curb illegal abortions and further enhancing the state's sex ratio as part of the 'Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao' initiative. Sudhir Rajpal instructed a rigorous clampdown on illegal abortions, urging officials to enforce strict penalties, including license cancellations for any doctor found guilty of such practices. In a recent example, a hospital in Hisar lost its medical termination of pregnancy license due to illegal abortion activities.

Rajpal also directed officials to host birth registration camps in economically challenged areas, advocating for extensive public awareness initiatives to ensure that unregistered children become part of the official system. Program officers from the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) were tasked with compiling lists of unregistered children alongside local Anganwadi workers by the following week.

In addition, he underscored the need for heightened supervision at community health centers (CHCs) and declared senior medical officers (SMOs) responsible for any illegal activities within their jurisdictions. Non-compliant SMOs risk facing disciplinary measures, including station confinement, and could be blacklisted. Furthermore, officials were ordered to maintain vigilance over IVF centers suspected of performing preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) and engaging in sex-determination practices.

Rajpal also stressed increased enforcement actions and raids in districts lagging behind in sex ratio improvements. The meeting also saw participation from Secretary of Health Department and Mission Director of the National Health Mission, Rippudaman Singh Dhillon, and senior officers from various departments.

(Only the headline of this report may have been reworked by Editorji; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)