Lok Sabha Question No. 1211 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-02-09
Subject: Balanced Sex Ratio
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Sanghamitra Maurya, Jayant Sinha

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1211

TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.02.2024

## BALANCED SEX RATIO

1211.  DR. SANGHMITRA MAURYA: SHRI JAYANT SINHA:

Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has taken steps to ensure a balanced sexc ratio in Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand; and
- (b) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

(a) & (b): Government of India's flagship scheme BBBP scheme was launched on 22nd January, 2015 as a tri-ministerial effort of the Ministry of Women & Child Development, Ministry  of  Education  and  Ministry  of  Health  and  Family  Welfare  to  prevent  Gender biased sex selective elimination, to ensure survival and protection of girl child and also to  ensure  education of  the  girl  child.   Now,  the  Ministry  of  Skill  Development  and Entrepreneurship and Ministry of Minority Affairs have also been added as partners with a view to undertake a special drive and awareness programme for promoting skilling among girls. The scheme has been expanded to cover  all the districts of the country including Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand through multi-sectoral interventions focused on zero-budget  advertising  and  encouraging  greater  spend  on  activities  that  have  on ground impact, e.g. , promotion of sports among girls, self-defence camps, construction of girls toilets, making available sanitary napkin vending machines and sanitary pads especially in educational institutions, awareness about PC-PNDT Act and skilling of girls etc.  The multi-sectoral interventions aims to bring about attitudinal change towards the girl  child,  by preventing and reporting female foeticide, celebrating  the girl child and encouraging and facilitating her education and future. Ministry has developed a thematic calendar for suggested convergence activities at district level with month wise specific themes for holistic development of the Girl Child.

The pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, 1994 (PC&PNDT Act) is the overarching legal framework governing the misuse of technology for detection and disclosure of sex of the foetus, leading to female foeticide.

PC & PNDT Act 1994 was enacted for the prohibition of sex selection before or after conception, and for regulation of pre-natal diagnostic techniques for the purposes of detecting genetic abnormalities or metabolic disorders or chromosomal abnormalities or certain congenital malfunction or sex-linked disorders and for the prevention of their misuse for  sex  determination  leading  to  female  foeticide  and  for  matters  connected therewith or incidental thereto.

The measures taken by the Government to ensure effective enforcement of the PC& PNDT across all States/UTs including the States of Uttar Pradesh & Jharkhand, to ensure Balanced Sex Ratio are as below:

- Regular monitoring through inspections
- Review of capacity building of Implementing Officers and Judicial Officers
- Create awareness generation and taking advocacy measures to build a positive environment for the girl child
- Set up a Nodal Agency in 2016 to regulate and remove the e-advertisements on internet relating to sex selection
- Render financial support to the States/UTs to strengthen implementation

Efforts have also been taken to accelerate convergence with schemes like Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP).

The  improving  trends  in  sex  ratio  contribute  to  better  gender  balance  in  the society - in public, household and institutional spaces, increased investment in girl's education and skill development, improved voice and choice of girls and their increased participation in socio-political space and economic activities.

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