Haryana NEWS : In a renewed effort to address the issue of gender imbalance, the Health and Women and Child Development Departments of Haryana have intensified the ‘Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao’ campaign across the state. As part of this initiative, awareness rallies and walks are being held in public parks, where banners displaying each district’s sex ratio are prominently showcased to engage the public and spread the message of valuing the girl child.
To further boost outreach, the Women and Child Development Department is also actively promoting the campaign through social media handles of all Deputy Commissioners, amplifying the awareness message across digital platforms.
Thanks to these continuous efforts, Haryana’s sex ratio has improved to 906 (female births per 1000 male births) between January 1 and June 30, 2025, compared to 904 during the same period last year.
This progress was highlighted during the weekly State Task Force (STF) meeting on improving sex ratio, chaired by Additional Chief Secretary (Health and Family Welfare) Sh. Sudhir Rajpal. The meeting emphasized the need for stricter enforcement against illegal abortions under the ongoing campaign.
Sh. Rajpal instructed officials to take strict punitive action against doctors involved in illegal abortion practices, including revoking their medical licences. He cited a recent instance where a hospital in Hisar had its MTP licence cancelled for conducting unauthorized abortions.
Officials were also directed to organize birth registration camps in low-income areas, and ensure that all unregistered children are identified and included in official records. ICDS Programme Officers have been tasked with preparing lists of such children in collaboration with Anganwadi workers within a week.
Emphasizing accountability, the Additional Chief Secretary instructed enhanced surveillance of Community Health Centres (CHCs) and held Senior Medical Officers (SMOs) responsible for any malpractice in their areas. He warned that non-compliant officers would face disciplinary measures, including being placed on a blacklist and restricted from leaving their stations.
Special attention is also being given to monitoring suspected IVF centres involved in illegal sex determination through Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT). Districts with poor sex ratio figures have been directed to intensify inspections and crackdown operations.
To prevent cross-border sex-selection practices, officials were instructed to strengthen coordination with neighboring states—Delhi, Punjab, and Rajasthan, especially in border areas where such activities may occur outside Haryana’s jurisdiction.
Moreover, SAHELIs (community health volunteers) assisting in safe deliveries will be rewarded, while those linked to abortion cases will be subject to disciplinary action.
The meeting was also attended by Sh. Rippudaman Singh Dhillon, Secretary of the Health Department and Mission Director of the National Health Mission, along with senior officials from various departments