To combat female foeticide and enforce strict adherence to the provisions of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, a total of 1217 FIRs under PCPNDT Act, including 397 FIRs through interstate raids have been registered in Haryana since 2014.
These actions have led to more than 4,000 arrests, targeting illegal practices carried out by doctors, quacks, and touts involved in sex determination and female foeticide, said the Government official spokesperson.
The Spokesperson further said that the State has successfully surpassed its target for improving the sex ratio at birth, achieving an increase of two points per year. From a sex ratio of 871 in 2014, the state has made a remarkable improvement of 39 points, bringing the sex ratio at birth to 910 in 2024. This achievement is a dedication to the effectiveness of Haryana’s sustained efforts under the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) initiative.
He said that Government’s commitment to improving maternal healthcare has also played a significant role in the state’s success of improving the gender ratio. Institutional deliveries have increased from 35.7 per cent in 2005-06 to an impressive 94.9 per cent, and early ANC registration has risen from 51.4 per cent to 85.2 per cent. Apart from this, the enrollment in secondary education has seen a notable increase, reaching 4,00,736 in 2023-24, compared to 3,85,624 in 2015-16.
The spokesperson said that ten years ago, when the Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the BBBP campaign in Panipat, Haryana was struggling from decades over this issue. However, with continuous and dedicated efforts, the state has made extraordinary progress, with further improvements still on the horizon.
In 2015, under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, State Government embraced the ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ programme as a challenge and has achieved a significant milestone in improving the sex ratio at birth. The state has also implemented several initiatives to improve the sex ratio, including a one-time payment of Rs 21,000 for the birth of a girl child, benefiting over 5,23,056 families. The Poshan Abhiyan launched in 2018 has focused on improving nutrition and reducing anemia among adolescent girls, pregnant women, lactating mothers, and children, reaching 2,24,136 participants through community events at Anganwadi centers. Furthermore, the Adolescent Girls Scheme, aimed at girls aged 14 to 18 years in Mewat, has reached 13,439 beneficiaries in 2024-25, supporting self-development, health, skill-building, and access to essential services.
The Sukanya Samriddhi Scheme has enabled parents to open high-interest savings accounts for their daughters under 10 years of age, with over 8,23,522 lakh accounts opened to date. Financial relief has also been provided to survivors of the POCSO Act, with Rs 1.31 crore disbursed to 778 cases by October 2024.
In addition, the state launched the “Mahri Lado” radio program in August 2024, under the leadership of the Chief Minister, which has been instrumental in reshaping societal attitudes towards girls’ rights. Broadcasted on All India Radio across Haryana, this program has engaged over 1,60,000 participants and covers vital topics such as health, nutrition, financial independence, and leadership, the spokesperson added.
