Lok Sabha Question No. 1756 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-11-25
Subject: Sex-Ratio in India
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: HEMAMALINI, AJAY (TENI) MISRA, PRABHAS KUMAR SINGH

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1756 TO BE ANSWERED ON 25 TH NOVEMBER, 2016

## SEX - RATIO IN INDIA

## 1756. SHRIMATI HEMA MALINI:

## SHRI AJAY MISRA TENI:

DR. PRABHAS KUMAR SINGH:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware that Supreme Court has recently expressed serious concern at the skewed sex ratio across the country, if so, the details thereof;
- (b)  whether  the  Government  has  made any  study  to  assess  the  impact  of  policies aimed  at improvingskewed sex ratio in various districts of the country, if so, the details thereof along with the child sex ratio in the country as per Census 2011 and the St ate - wisedetails thereof;
- (c) whether the Government is aware that most of the private hospitals and diagnostic centres are helping people just for monetary gains;
- (d) if so, the details of the action that the Government proposes to take against such hos pitals and diagnostic centres which are involved in disclosing sex of child;
- (e) whether there has been decline in female foeticide since 2014, if so, the details thereof; and
- (f) whether the Government is contemplating any scheme to provide education, health and equal opportunities to the girls to check the female foeticide and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI FAGGAN SINGH KULASTE)

- (a): Yes,  Hon'ble  Supreme  Court  in  the  matter  o f  Writ  Petition  (Civil)  349  of  2006 (Voluntary Health Association of Punjab Vs. Union Of India & Ors.) has passed the judgem on 8 th November, 2016 and has expressed serious concern on the skewed sex ratio across t country.

(b) : No, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has not conducted any study to assess the impact of policies aimed at improving sex ratio in various districts of the country. A Census, 2011 the child sex ratio has shown decline from 927 females per thousand males in 001 to 918 females per thousand males in 2011. The State/UT - wise details are at annexure.

(c)& (d): The Government has enacted the Pre - conception and Pre - natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, 1994, for prohibition of sex selection before or after  conception  and  for  prevention  of  misuse  of  pre - conception  and  pre - natal  diagnostic techniques for sex determination. The Act provides penalties and punishment for the viol of the provisions of the Act and Rules made thereund er. Main penalties are as follows: -

(i) for doctors/owner of clinics:

- Up to 3 years of imprisonment with fine up to Rs. 10,000 for the first offence.
- Up to 5 years of imprisonment with fine up to Rs. 50,000 for subsequent offence.
- Suspension of registratio n w th the Medical Council if charges are framed by the court an till the case is disposed of,  removal of the name for 5 years from the medical regis case of first offence and permanent removal  in case of subsequent offence.

(ii) for husband/f amily member or any other person abetting sex selection:

- Up to 3 years of imprisonment with a fine up to Rs. 50,000 for the first offence.
- Up to 5 years of imprisonment with fine up to Rs. 1 lakh for subsequent offence.

(iii) for any advertisement regardin g sex selection:

- Up to 3 years of imprisonment and up to Rs. 10,000 fine.

(e) : As per information received from National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), 45 cases of female foeticide have been reported in 2015 as compared to 50 cases reported in 2014, showing declining of 10%.

(f): As per information received from the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme has been launched by Prime Minister on 22 J anuary, 2015 now covering 161 selected districts with low child sex ratio, to address the issue of declinin ratio  and  related  issues  of  women  empowerment  over  a  life - cycle  continuum.  It  is  a  tri -ministerial effort of Ministries of Women and Chil d Development, Health and Family Welfare and Human Resource Development. This initiative of Government aims to address the issue declining child sex ratio through a mass media campaign across the country and focused sectoral intervention in the id entified districts.

|                  |                                            |   Annexure |
|------------------|--------------------------------------------|------------|
| Child Sex S. No. | Ratio as per Census (1971-2011) States/UTs |       2011 |
|                  | India                                      |        918 |
| 1                | Jammu & Kashmir                            |        862 |
| 2                | Himachal Pradesh                           |        909 |
| 3                | Punjab                                     |        846 |
| 4                | Chandigarh                                 |        880 |
| 5                | Uttaranchal                                |        890 |
| 6                | Haryana                                    |        834 |
| 7                | Delhi                                      |        871 |
| 8                | Rajasthan                                  |        888 |
| 9                | Uttar Pradesh                              |        902 |
| 10               | Bihar                                      |        935 |
| 11               | Sikkim                                     |        957 |
| 12               | Arunachal Pradesh                          |        972 |
| 13               | Nagaland                                   |        943 |
| 14               | Manipur                                    |        936 |
| 15               | Mizoram                                    |        970 |
| 16               | Tripura                                    |        957 |
| 17               | Meghalaya                                  |        970 |
| 18               | Assam                                      |        962 |
| 19               | West Bengal                                |        956 |
| 20               | Jharkhand                                  |        948 |
| 21               | Orissa                                     |        941 |
| 22               | Chhattisgarh                               |        969 |
| 23               | Madhya Pradesh                             |        918 |
| 24               | Gujarat                                    |        890 |
| 25               | Daman & Diu                                |        904 |
| 26               | Dadra & Nagar Haveli                       |        926 |
| 27               | Maharashtra                                |        894 |
| 28               | Andhra Pradesh                             |        939 |
| 29               | Karnataka                                  |        948 |
| 30               | Goa                                        |        942 |
| 31               | Lakshadweep                                |        911 |
| 32               | Kerala                                     |        964 |
| 33               | Tamil Nadu                                 |        943 |
| 34               | Pondicherry                                |        967 |
| 35               | A & Nicobar Islands                        |        968 |

Source : Census of India