Lok Sabha Question No. 1849 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-12-21
Subject: Declining Sex Ratio at Birth
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: RAMESH CHANDER KAUSHIK, BALASUBRAMANIAM SENGUTTUVAN

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

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1849 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21 ST DECEMBER, 2018

## DECLINING SEX RATIO AT BIRTH

## 1849. SHRI RAMESH CHANDER KAUSHIK : SHRI B. SENGUTTUVAN:

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

- (a) whether the Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) has seen a sharp decline in 17 out of 21 large the country in 2015 - 16 and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whe ther Gujarat has recorded an alarming dip in SRB and if so, the details thereof;
- (c)  whether  the  same  declining  trend  has  continued  in  Haryana,  Rajasthan,  Uttarakh , Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Karnataka and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether this dip in SRB makes out a case for more effective implementation of the -Conception and Pre - Natal  Diagnostic  Techniques  (PCPNDT)  Act,  1994  and  if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) whether the Government is contemplating any steps to check this growing trend of un SRB and if so, the details thereof?

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

- (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 per 1000 male)  a whereas 13 states have shown decline as per the details at Annexure - I
- (b) : As per the SRS, the Sex Ratio at Birth for Gujarat 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  Chhattisgar h  an improvement has been recorded in Sex Ratio at Birth whereas decline has been recorded in states of Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka.

| States           |   2013- 2015 |   2014- 2016 |
|------------------|--------------|--------------|
| Haryana          |          831 |          832 |
| Rajasthan        |          861 |          857 |
| Uttarakhand      |          844 |          850 |
| Maharashtra      |          878 |          876 |
| Himachal Pradesh |          924 |          917 |
| Chhattisgarh     |          961 |          963 |
| Karnataka        |          939 |          935 |

Source:  Sample Registration System (RGI )

(d) & (e) : In view of the declining Child Sex Ratio and Sex Ratio at Birth, Government of I besides  enactment  of  the  Pre - conception  and  Pre - natal  Diagnostic  Techniques  (Prohibition  of Sex  Selection)  Act,  1994  and  Rules  has  adopted  a  multi - pronged  strategy  for  ef fective implementation  of  PC&PNDT  Act  and  Rules  and  for  awareness  generation  and  advocacy measures to build a positive environment for the girl child through gender sensitive p provisions and legislation. The details of important measures taken by Government of India are in Annexure - II.

……………………..

## Annexure - I

| Sex Ratio (female per 1000 male) at Birth   | Sex Ratio (female per 1000 male) at Birth   | Sex Ratio (female per 1000 male) at Birth   | Sex Ratio (female per 1000 male) at Birth   |
|---------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------|
| India and bigger States                     | India and bigger States                     | India and bigger States                     | India and bigger States                     |
| S.No.                                       | India and bigger states/period*             | 2013- 15                                    | 2014- 16                                    |
|                                             | India                                       | 900                                         | 898                                         |
| 1.                                          | Andhra Pradesh                              | 918                                         | 913                                         |
| 2.                                          | Assam                                       | 900                                         | 896                                         |
| 3.                                          | Bihar                                       | 916                                         | 908                                         |
| 4.                                          | Chhattisgarh                                | 961                                         | 963                                         |
| 5.                                          | Delhi                                       | 869                                         | 857                                         |
| 6.                                          | Gujarat                                     | 854                                         | 848                                         |
| 7.                                          | Haryana                                     | 831                                         | 832                                         |
| 8.                                          | Himachal Pradesh                            | 924                                         | 917                                         |
| 9.                                          | Jammu & Kashmir                             | 899                                         | 906                                         |
| 10.                                         | Jharkhand                                   | 902                                         | 918                                         |
| 11.                                         | Karnataka                                   | 939                                         | 935                                         |
| 12.                                         | Kerala                                      | 967                                         | 959                                         |
| 13.                                         | Madhya Pradesh                              | 919                                         | 922                                         |
| 14.                                         | Maharashtra                                 | 878                                         | 876                                         |
| 15.                                         | Orissa                                      | 950                                         | 948                                         |
| 16.                                         | Punjab                                      | 889                                         | 893                                         |
| 17.                                         | Rajasthan                                   | 861                                         | 857                                         |
| 18.                                         | Tamil Nadu                                  | 911                                         | 915                                         |
| 19.                                         | Telangana                                   | N.A.                                        | 901                                         |
| 20.                                         | Uttar Pradesh                               | 879                                         | 882                                         |
| 21.                                         | Uttarakhand                                 | 844                                         | 850                                         |
| 22.                                         | West Bengal                                 | 951                                         | 937                                         |

Source:  Sample Registration System (RGI )

## Annexure-II

- Regular inspections visits are conducted by the National Inspection and Monitoring Committee (NIMC).  The  Committee  also  recommends  the  District  Appropriate  Authorities  to appropriate action against clinics/Ultrasound Centres violating the PC & PNDT Act.
- Financial support and technical gui dance is provided under National Health Mission (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  a re  conducted  for  State/  District  Appropriate Authorities and State/ District Nodal Officers.
- Comprehensive Standard Operating Guidelines (SOGs) for District Appropriate Authorit have been prepared and communicated to all the States/UTs.
- Regular regiona l review meetings are organised to review 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 ar e periodically reviewed for ensuring their compliance.
- 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,  prohi bited  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 - advert isements.
- National Seheme 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' (BBBP) anchored by the Ministry of WCD in partnership  with MOHFW and HRD, has been now extended to PAN India.  Ministry of Health and FW has actively participated for creating awareness and capacity bu ilding on PC&PNDT Act in all the orientation programmes/multi - sectoral District Action Plans for the BBBP districts.
- Various IEC activities are carried out through print, electronic and mass media at th /UTs level. States have been directed to plan appropriate Behaviour Change Communicati campaigns  and  effectively  implement  provisions  of  the  PC  &PNDT  Act.    Awar eness  is generated through Print advertisements, social media platforms of twitter, facebook an Tube.
- The orientation and sensitisation of judiciary has been conducted through National Jud Academy.

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