Haryana News : Under the guidance of Health and Family Welfare Minister Arti Singh Rao, a weekly review meeting of the State Task Force (STF) for improving Haryana’s sex ratio was held today, chaired by Director General of Health Services (DGHS), Sh. Manish Bansal. The meeting focused on strengthening actions against illegal abortions and further boosting the sex ratio as part of the ongoing ‘Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao’ initiative.
Officials discussed the recent positive outcomes of various government interventions. During the week of July 14–21, 2025, Haryana’s sex ratio rose to 917 — a significant jump from 860 during the same week last year. Cumulatively, from January 1 to July 21, the ratio improved to 904, compared to 902 for the same timeframe last year.
DGHS Sh. Bansal stressed the importance of strict enforcement against unlawful abortions. He directed that harsh penalties, including the cancellation of licenses, be imposed on doctors involved in such practices. The state is actively conducting reverse tracking of all Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) and abortion cases after 12 weeks, especially where the woman already has one or more daughters. To date, 690 such cases have been reverse-tracked, with the highest number reported in Ambala. As a result, 18 FIRs have been registered, and 13 more are in process. Show-cause notices have also been served to private hospitals, clinics, and health workers — including Medical Officers, ASHAs, ANMs, and SAHELIS — linked to the concerned pregnant women.
DGHS (P) Sh. Kuldeep Singh held in-depth consultations with Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) and senior health officials. He instructed that reverse tracking must be completed within 24 hours of any abortion case coming to notice. He also requested MTP data from the last three months and emphasized coordination with gynecologists at OPD centers for timely case identification. He added that law enforcement assistance should be sought if any legal challenges arise during action.
The Task Force expressed serious concern over lapses found in some districts and decided to initiate chargesheets against officials who failed to conduct reverse tracking. All CMOs and PNDT (Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques) officers were ordered to intensify on-ground inspections and strictly monitor implementation. Additionally, any requests for Pre-implantation Genetic Testing (PIGT) must be reported within five days to detect potential misuse for sex selection.
Senior officials from various departments participated in the meeting to assess progress and ensure effective interdepartmental collaboration.