Haryana suspends 4 doctors over falling sex ratio, SRB drops to 895
Synopsis
Haryana's sex ratio has slipped to 895 girls per 1,000 boys in the first four months of 2025 — down sharply from 925 a year ago — and the state government has responded by suspending four senior medical officers, invoking service conduct rules to hold health officials directly accountable for demographic outcomes. Charkhi Dadri's ratio of just 769 is the most alarming district-level figure.
Key Takeaways
The Haryana government suspended four senior medical officers on 19 May 2025 for poor monitoring of sex ratio improvement programmes.
The order was issued by Additional Chief Secretary Dr Sumita Misra ; disciplinary proceedings initiated under Rule 7, Haryana Civil Services Rules, 2016 .
Haryana's sex ratio at birth fell to 895 girls per 1,000 boys in the first four months of 2025, down from 925 in the same period last year.
Charkhi Dadri recorded the state's lowest SRB at 769 ; Karnal recorded the highest at 968 .
The suspended officers were posted at CHCs in Sonipat , Yamunanagar , Rohtak , and Narnaul .
The Haryana government on Tuesday, 19 May suspended four senior medical officers with immediate effect, citing poor performance and failure to monitor programmes aimed at improving the state's sex ratio at birth (SRB). The action comes as Haryana's SRB in the first four months of the year has slipped to 895 girls per 1,000 boys, sharply down from 925 in the same period last year.
Officers Suspended and Where They Will Be Attached
The suspension order was issued by Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Dr Sumita Misra. The four officers named in the order are Dr Tina Anand, Senior Medical Officer (SMO) at Community Health Centre (CHC) Purkhas in Sonipat; Dr Vijay Parmar, SMO at CHC Radaur in Yamunanagar; Dr Satpal, SMO at CHC Chiri in Rohtak; and Dr Prabha, Medical Officer at CHC Sehlang in Narnaul.
During the suspension period, the officers will remain attached to the offices of Civil Surgeons in Rohtak, Ambala, Jhajjar, and Rewari, respectively. The government has simultaneously initiated disciplinary proceedings under Rule 7 of the Haryana Civil Services (Punishment and Appeal) Rules, 2016.
How Bad Is the Sex Ratio Decline
The district-level data paints a stark picture. Charkhi Dadri recorded the lowest SRB in the state at just 769 girls per 1,000 boys, followed by Ambala at 843, Mahendragarh at 847, Gurugram at 863, and Jind at 872.
At the other end, Karnal led with the highest SRB of 968, followed by Faridabad and Kurukshetra at 932 each, Palwal at 924, and Nuh at 913. The wide inter-district variation underscores that enforcement has been uneven across the state.
What the Government Said
The suspension order explicitly cites 'poor performance and failure to ensure effective monitoring and implementation of measures relating to improvement of sex ratio' as the grounds for action. The move signals the state administration's intent to hold field-level medical officers directly accountable for demographic outcomes — a relatively firm step in a state that has historically struggled with gender-biased sex selection.
Context and What Comes Next
Haryana has long been associated with skewed sex ratios, and repeated government drives — including awareness campaigns and stricter enforcement of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC-PNDT) Act — have yielded only partial improvement over the years. The current decline to 895, if sustained, would reverse gains made in recent years. Notably, this is among the more direct uses of service-conduct rules to penalise health officers for demographic underperformance, rather than solely targeting illegal clinics. Further disciplinary action against other underperforming districts cannot be ruled out as the government reviews data for the remaining months.
Point of View
Not merely a social problem. Yet the real pressure points — illegal ultrasound clinics, complicit private practitioners, and social preference for male children — sit largely outside the public health system these officers managed. Holding SMOs accountable without parallel action on private-sector PC-PNDT violations risks making scapegoats of administrators while leaving the structural drivers untouched. The inter-district gap, from 769 in Charkhi Dadri to 968 in Karnal, also suggests the problem is geographically concentrated enough to demand targeted policing, not uniform administrative punishment.
NationPress
13 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Haryana suspend four doctors over the sex ratio issue?
The Haryana government suspended the four senior medical officers for alleged poor performance and failure to effectively monitor programmes aimed at improving the state's sex ratio at birth. The suspension order, issued on 19 May 2025, cites their inability to implement measures to curb illegal sex determination and female foeticide in their respective areas.
What is Haryana's current sex ratio at birth in 2025?
Haryana's sex ratio at birth stands at 895 girls per 1,000 boys for the first four months of 2025, a sharp decline from 925 recorded in the same period last year. Charkhi Dadri is the worst-performing district at 769, while Karnal is the best at 968.
Who are the four doctors suspended by the Haryana government?
The four suspended officers are Dr Tina Anand (CHC Purkhas, Sonipat), Dr Vijay Parmar (CHC Radaur, Yamunanagar), Dr Satpal (CHC Chiri, Rohtak), and Dr Prabha (CHC Sehlang, Narnaul). All are Senior Medical Officers or Medical Officers at Community Health Centres.
What disciplinary action has been taken against the suspended doctors?
Apart from suspension with immediate effect, the Haryana government has initiated formal disciplinary proceedings against all four officers under Rule 7 of the Haryana Civil Services (Punishment and Appeal) Rules, 2016. During suspension, they are attached to Civil Surgeon offices in Rohtak, Ambala, Jhajjar, and Rewari.
Which districts in Haryana have the worst and best sex ratios?
Charkhi Dadri has the lowest sex ratio at birth in Haryana at 769 girls per 1,000 boys, followed by Ambala at 843 and Mahendragarh at 847. Karnal leads with the highest ratio at 968, followed by Faridabad and Kurukshetra at 932 each.
