In Haryana, the state government has taken a major step to address the growing crisis of female foeticide. A task force has been formed to curb illegal abortions, and action is already underway; 300 out of 1,500 Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) centres have either had their registration cancelled or voluntarily surrendered. The move comes after an investigation revealed a worrying decline in the state’s sex ratio at birth, sparking serious concerns.
The task force, led by Dr. Virender Yadav, Director of the National Health Mission-Haryana, includes senior officials from the health, women and child development, drug control, and police departments. It has been directed to conduct weekly reviews and field visits every Tuesday.
This series of measures follows alarming data showing a decline in Haryana’s sex ratio at birth, from 923 girls per 1,000 boys in 2019 to 910 in 2024. This drop comes despite the launch of the ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ scheme by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Panipat in 2015.
To understand how deep the issue runs, an India Today team spent two weeks across Haryana and disclosed how the strong preference for sons is fueling female foeticide and infanticide in the state.
Dr Virender Yadav said that 23 abortion centres have received notices, and FIRs have been filed against 17 online sellers of MTP (abortion) kits. So far, 23 raids have been carried out to strengthen the enforcement of the PCPNDT Act, which aims to stop gender-based abortions.
As part of the crackdown, the PNDT nodal officer of Hisar has been suspended, and show-cause notices have been issued to senior medical officers at 12 Community Health Centres (CHCs). Medical officers from three CHCs with the worst sex ratios have been charge-sheeted.
Also, nodal officers in five districts with the lowest sex ratios which includes Charkhi Dadri, Rewari, Rohtak, Gurugram, and Faridabad have been replaced.
Dr Yadav added that IVF and ultrasound centres are under the scanner too. Unregistered IVF clinics will be shut down, and those with abnormal sex ratio trends will face action. Criminal charges have also been filed against agents involved in illegal abortions.
One such incident includes Pooja, a mother of two daughters, who was forced by her in-laws to abort her third baby because it was a girl. But she stood up for herself, left their house, and gave birth to her daughter.
Now, a case is being prepared against a woman named Usha, who helped with illegal abortions. The doctor and Pooja’s in-laws are also being investigated.
To stop such cases, the Haryana government is counselling around 62,000 pregnant women who already have at least one daughter. ASHA workers will now keep an eye on such pregnancies and get ₹1,000 if a girl child is born safely. The government also says that since March, the sex ratio has improved slightly to 911 girls per 1,000 boys.
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