Lok Sabha Question No. 1002 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-12-04
Subject: Sex Ratio
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: DHARMENDRA YADAV, Shrirang Appa Barne, KINJARAPU RAM MOHAN NAIDU, SANJAY SHAMRAO DHOTRE, SHIVAJI ADHALRAO PATIL, ANANDRAO  ADSUL, RAJU ALIAS DEVAPPA ANNA SHETTI

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1002 TO BE ANSWERED ON 4 TH DECEMBER, 2015

## SEX RATIO

1002. SHRI DHARMENDRA YADAV:

SHRI SHRIRANG APPA BARNE:

SHRI RAM MOHAN NAIDU KINJARAPU:

SHRI SANJAY DHOTRE:

SHRI ADHALRAO PATIL SHIVAJIRAO:

SHRI ANANDRAO ADSUL:

SHRI RAJU SHETTY:

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

- (a) whether despite the 2011 census setting alarm bells r inging about India's worsening sex ratio, the gap between male and female registered births in India fell further in 2012 and 2013;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether India's law against prenatal sex determination - driven termination is not working;
- (d) if so, the response of the Government thereon; and
- (e) the steps taken by the Government to reduce the sex ratio gap across the country?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF HEA LTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI JAGAT PRAKASH NADDA)

- (a)  &(b):    As  per  information  received  from  Registrar  General  of  India,  the  number registered male and female births is as under: -

|   Year |   Registered female births |   Registered male births |
|--------|----------------------------|--------------------------|
|   2012 |                    9463528 |                 10425752 |
|   2013 |                   10636276 |                 11844107 |

Contd……

(c ) to (e): The Government has enacted the Pre - conception and Pre - natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition  of  Sex  Selection)  Act,  1994,  for  prohibition  of  sex  selection  before conception and for pr evention of misuse of pre -conception and pre - natal diagnostic techniques for  sex  determination. As  per  Quarterly  Progress  Reports  (QPRs)  submitted  by  States/  UTs, 51704 diagnostic facilities including Genetic Counselling Centre, Genetic Laboratory, Genetic Clinic, Ultrasound Clinic and Imaging Centre have been registered under the Pre -conception and Pre - natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, 1994. So far, a total machines have been sealed and seized for violations of the PC & PNDT Act. A total of 2142 court cases have been filed by the concerned Appropriate Authorities and 304 convictions so far been secured under the Act.  Following conviction the medical licenses of 100 d have been suspended/ cancelled.

Government has adopted a multi - pronged strategy entailing schemes and programmes and awareness generation/advocacy measures to build a positive environment for the girl c through gender sensitive policies, provisions and legislation. The details of imp ortant meas ures is enclosed in Annexure .

……………

## Annexure

- The Government has intensified effective implementation of the Pre - conception and Pre - natal Diagnostic  Techniques  (Prohibition  of  Sex  Selection)  Act,  1994  and  amended  various provisions of the Rules.
- The Government is rendering financial support to the States and UTs for operationalizati PNDT  Cells,  Capacity  Building,  Orientation  &  Sensitisation  Workshop,  Information, Education and Communication campaigns and for strengthening structures f or the implementation of the PC & PNDT Act under the National Health Mission (NHM).
- A  National  review  under  the  chairmanship  of  Additional  Secretary  and  Mission  Direc MoHFW was held on 21 st September, 2015 through video conference.
- Program review at the state level has been intensified.  Five regional review workshop North,  West,  Central,  North  East  and  Southern  regions  were  organized  during  2014 - 15. During 2015 - 16 one regional review workshop was organized for Northern Eastern States in Imphal.
- National campaign 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' was launched in 100 gender critical districts in  partnership  with  Ministry  of  Woman  and  Child  Development  and  Human  Recourse Development.
- Directions given vide Order dated 16/09/2014 by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in the matter of WP(C) 349/2006 (Voluntary Health Ass. of Punjab) were communicated to the States/ UTs at the level of Secretary HFW to Chief Secretaries to ensure immediate compliance.
- Inspections by the National Inspection and Mo nitoring Committee (NIMC) have been scaled up. In year 2014 - 15, 19 inspection visits have been undertaken in different States. During 2015- 16, 12 NIMC inspections have been conducted in the 12 states of Punjab, Puducherry Tripura,  Sikkim,  Uttar  Pradesh, Odisha,  Bihar,  Mizoram,  Andhra  Pradesh,  Haryana, Rajasthan and Maharashtra.
- States have been advised to focus on Districts/Blocks/Villages with low Child Sex Rati ascertain  the  causes,  plan  appropriate  behaviour  change  communication  campaigns  and effe ctively implement provisions of the PC & PNDT Act.

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