Lok Sabha Question No. 1617 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-07-27
Subject: Sex Ratio
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: BALASUBRAMANIAM SENGUTTUVAN

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1617 TO BE ANSWERED ON  27 TH JULY, 2018

## SEX RATIO

## SHRI B. SENGUTTUVAN:

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

- (a) whether there has seen a sharp decline in the Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) in 17 out of States in India in 2015 - 16, if so, the details thereof, State/ UT - wise including Gujarat;
- (b) whether Gujarat recorded an alarming di p in SRB at 53 points with 854 female births per 1000 male births, if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the same declining trend continued in Haryana, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Karnataka etc., if so, the d etails thereof;

Uttarakha

- (d)  whether  dip  in  SRB  makes  out  a  case  for  more  effective  implementation  of  the -Conception and Pre - Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, 1994, if so, the details thereo and
- (e) whether the Government has taken any steps to check this growing trend of unequal mal -female ratio?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE ( SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL )

- (a):        As  per  the  Sample Registration Survey (SRS),Registrar General of India (RGI)2014- 16, 9 states out of 22 states have recorded improvement in Sex Ratio(female 1000 male)  at Birth whereas 13 states have shown decline as per the details at Annexure.
- (b) : As per the SRS 2014 - 16,  the Sex Ratio at Birth for Guj arat has decreased from 854 in 2013- 15 to 848 in 2014 - 16 recording a decline of 6 points.

Contd……

(c) : As per the SRS 2014 - 16,  in  the  states  of  Haryana,  Uttarakhand  and  Chhattisgarh  an improvement has been recorded in Sex Ratio at Birth whereas decline has been recorded in the states of Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka.

| States           |   2012- 2014 |   2013- 2015 | Change   |   2014- 2016 | Change   |
|------------------|--------------|--------------|----------|--------------|----------|
| Haryana          |          866 |          831 | - 35     |          832 | 1        |
| Rajasthan        |          893 |          861 | - 32     |          857 | - 4      |
| Uttarakhand      |          871 |          844 | - 27     |          850 | 6        |
| Maharashtra      |          896 |          878 | - 18     |          876 | - 2      |
| Himachal Pradesh |          938 |          924 | - 14     |          917 | - 7      |
| Chhattisgarh     |          973 |          961 | - 12     |          963 | 2        |
| Karnataka        |          950 |          939 | - 11     |          935 | - 4      |

Source:  Sample Registration System (RGI )

(d) &(e) In view of the declining Child Sex Ratio and Sex Ratio at Birth are a matters of and the Government of India besides enactment of the Pre - conception and Pre - natal Diagnostic Techniques  (Prohibition  of  Sex  Selection)  Act,  1994  and  Rules  has  ado pted  a  multi - pronged strategy for effective implementation of PC&PNDT Act and Rules and for awareness generati and  advocacy  measures  to  build  a  positive  environment  for  the  girl  child  through  g sensitive  policies,  provisions  and  legislation.  The  det ails  of  important  measures  taken  by Government of India inter alia include:

- Regular  inspections  visits  are  conducted  by  the  National  Inspection  and  Monito Committee (NIMC)
- Financial support and technical guidance is provided under National Health M ission (NHM) to States & UTs in order to strengthen implementation structures, setting up of ded PNDT Cells, capacity building, monitoring, and advocacy campaigns etc.
- Regular  Capacity  Building  Programmes  are  conducted  for  State/  District  Appropr iate Authorities and State/ District Nodal Officers.
- Comprehensive Standard Operating Guidelines (SOGs) for District Appropriate Authorit has been prepared and communicated to all the States/UTs.
- Regular regional review programsare organised to rev iew the progress in the States/UTs.
- Directions  given  by  the  Hon'ble  Supreme  Court  in  the  matter  of  WP(C)  349/2006 (Voluntary  Health  Association  of  Punjab  vs.  UOI  &  others),  were  communicated  to  t States/ UTs and are periodically reviewed for ensuring their compliance.

Contd…….

- The Government has also set up a Nodal Agency to receive the complaints pertaining t -advertisements on internet relating to preconception and prenatal determination of sex selection,  prohibited  under  the  PC& PNDT  Act,  1994  as  per  the  directions  of  Hon'ble Supreme Court vide order dated 16.11.2016 in Writ Petition (Civil) No. 341 of 2008. Nodal agency also forwards these complaints to the concerned search engines to rem such e - advertisement.
- Various IE C activities are carried out through print, electronic and mass media at the /UTs level. States have been directed to plan appropriate Behaviour Change Communicati campaigns  and  effectively  implement  provisions  of  the  PC  &PNDT  Act.    Awareness  is generated through Print advertisements, social media platforms of twitter, facebook an Tube.
- The orientation and sensitisation of judiciary has been conducted through National J Academy.

………………

## Annexure

| Sex Ratio (female per 1000 male) at Birth India and bigger States   | Sex Ratio (female per 1000 male) at Birth India and bigger States   | Sex Ratio (female per 1000 male) at Birth India and bigger States   | Sex Ratio (female per 1000 male) at Birth India and bigger States   | Sex Ratio (female per 1000 male) at Birth India and bigger States   | Sex Ratio (female per 1000 male) at Birth India and bigger States   | Sex Ratio (female per 1000 male) at Birth India and bigger States   | Sex Ratio (female per 1000 male) at Birth India and bigger States   |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
| S.No.                                                               | India and bigger states/period*                                     | 2012- 14                                                            | 2013- 15                                                            | Change                                                              | 2013- 15                                                            | 2014- 16                                                            | Change                                                              |
|                                                                     | India                                                               | 906                                                                 | 900                                                                 | - 6                                                                 | 900                                                                 | 898                                                                 | - 2                                                                 |
| 1.                                                                  | Andhra Pradesh                                                      | 919*                                                                | 918*                                                                | - 1                                                                 | 918                                                                 | 913                                                                 | - 5                                                                 |
| 2.                                                                  | Assam                                                               | 918                                                                 | 900                                                                 | - 18                                                                | 900                                                                 | 896                                                                 | - 4                                                                 |
| 3.                                                                  | Bihar                                                               | 907                                                                 | 916                                                                 | 9                                                                   | 916                                                                 | 908                                                                 | - 8                                                                 |
| 4.                                                                  | Chhattisgarh                                                        | 973                                                                 | 961                                                                 | - 12                                                                | 961                                                                 | 963                                                                 | 2                                                                   |
| 5.                                                                  | Delhi                                                               | 876                                                                 | 869                                                                 | - 7                                                                 | 869                                                                 | 857                                                                 | - 12                                                                |
| 6.                                                                  | Gujarat                                                             | 907                                                                 | 854                                                                 | - 53                                                                | 854                                                                 | 848                                                                 | - 6                                                                 |
| 7.                                                                  | Haryana                                                             | 866                                                                 | 831                                                                 | - 35                                                                | 831                                                                 | 832                                                                 | 1                                                                   |
| 8.                                                                  | Himachal Pradesh                                                    | 938                                                                 | 924                                                                 | - 14                                                                | 924                                                                 | 917                                                                 | - 7                                                                 |
| 9.                                                                  | Jammu & Kashmir                                                     | 899                                                                 | 899                                                                 | 0                                                                   | 899                                                                 | 906                                                                 | 7                                                                   |
| 10.                                                                 | Jharkhand                                                           | 910                                                                 | 902                                                                 | - 8                                                                 | 902                                                                 | 918                                                                 | 16                                                                  |
| 11.                                                                 | Karnataka                                                           | 950                                                                 | 939                                                                 | - 11                                                                | 939                                                                 | 935                                                                 | - 4                                                                 |
| 12.                                                                 | Kerala                                                              | 974                                                                 | 967                                                                 | - 7                                                                 | 967                                                                 | 959                                                                 | - 8                                                                 |
| 13.                                                                 | Madhya Pradesh                                                      | 927                                                                 | 919                                                                 | - 8                                                                 | 919                                                                 | 922                                                                 | 3                                                                   |
| 14.                                                                 | Maharashtra                                                         | 896                                                                 | 878                                                                 | - 18                                                                | 878                                                                 | 876                                                                 | - 2                                                                 |
| 15.                                                                 | Orissa                                                              | 953                                                                 | 950                                                                 | - 3                                                                 | 950                                                                 | 948                                                                 | - 2                                                                 |
| 16.                                                                 | Punjab                                                              | 870                                                                 | 889                                                                 | 19                                                                  | 889                                                                 | 893                                                                 | 4                                                                   |
| 17.                                                                 | Rajasthan                                                           | 893                                                                 | 861                                                                 | - 32                                                                | 861                                                                 | 857                                                                 | - 4                                                                 |
| 19.                                                                 | Telangana                                                           | N.A.                                                                | N.A.                                                                | N.A.                                                                | N.A.                                                                | 901                                                                 | N.A.                                                                |
| 20.                                                                 | Uttar Pradesh                                                       | 869                                                                 | 879                                                                 | 10                                                                  | 879                                                                 | 882                                                                 | 3                                                                   |
| 21.                                                                 | Uttarakhand                                                         | 871                                                                 | 844                                                                 | - 27                                                                | 844                                                                 | 850                                                                 | 6                                                                   |
| 22.                                                                 | West Bengal                                                         | 952                                                                 | 951                                                                 | - 1                                                                 | 951                                                                 | 937                                                                 | - 14                                                                |
| * Andhra Pradesh includes                                           | Telangana.                                                          |                                                                     |                                                                     |                                                                     |                                                                     |                                                                     |                                                                     |

Source:  Sample Registration System (RGI )

*

Andhra Pradesh includes

Telangana.