Has Haryana’s Gender Ratio Improved to 907?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Gender ratio in Haryana improved to 907.
- Initiatives target illegal abortion practices.
- Transgender community engages in girl child celebrations.
- Government imposes strict penalties for complicit doctors.
- Monitoring of IVF procedures enhanced.
Chandigarh, Aug 5 (NationPress) During the period from January 1 to July 31 of this year, Haryana’s gender ratio has seen a positive shift, now standing at 907, an increase from 899 in the same timeframe last year. This update was shared on Tuesday at the weekly gathering of the State Task Force (STF) for Enhancing Sex Ratio, led by Additional Chief Secretary (Health), Sudhir Rajpal.
The meeting concentrated on amplifying efforts to combat illegal abortions and to further enhance the state's sex ratio through the 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' initiative.
The Additional Chief Secretary highlighted the importance of strict enforcement against unlawful abortions, directing officials to impose penalties, including revoking the licenses of doctors involved in female foeticide.
He mentioned that the government is executing reverse tracking of all Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) and abortion cases beyond 12 weeks, especially where women already have one or more daughters.
In July alone, 32 First Information Reports (FIRs) were filed in reverse tracking cases, resulting in 32 arrests.
Moreover, FIRs are currently being processed in four additional cases, and 38 notices have been dispatched to private hospitals and clinics for suspected irregularities, according to an official statement.
In a novel and inclusive approach, the Additional Chief Secretary has instructed that the transgender community actively participate in celebrating the arrival of girl children.
As part of this initiative, members of the transgender community will visit families welcoming a girl child, similar to their traditional visits for a boy's birth, presenting a certificate of Rs 21,000 invested with the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) under the ‘Aapki Beti Hamari Beti’ scheme to the family.
To support this, the government plans to incentivize the transgender community, proposing a minimum amount of Rs 1,100 for each transgender participant.
The entire campaign will be conducted under the oversight of the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of the district.
Additionally, the Additional Chief Secretary has ordered a crackdown on IVF centers involved in sex-determination tests and illegal abortions.
It has been decided that all IVF-related implantations must be registered under antenatal care for enhanced monitoring.