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The central government in response to a question in the Lok Sabha has revealed that despite the sex ratio at birth of the country increasing from 918 to 933, 13 states and UTs including Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, etc. have seen a sharp decline in sex ratio during the last three years. This is a hugely discouraging situation wherein years of awareness campaigns by the government, NGOs and medical professionals against female foeticide have been reversed. This is a telling commentary on the deeply ingrained mindset of many in society that prefer male children and consider girls as a burden to be avoided. This prevailing prejudice needs to be studied further to find out the systemic reasons for such apathy towards girl children. Simply criticising the government for the poor results will cause us to miss the larger and more pressing issues.
The central government on its part has poured a considerable amount of money and manpower into schemes like the ‘Beti Bachao; Beti Padhao’ campaign which was launched in 2015. Though the campaign involved an aggressive public awareness drive and a clampdown on sex determination centres had in the initial years showed encouraging results as the gap between the genders at birth was seen to be steadily closing, the latest trend has clearly undone the hard earned gains. The scheme has suffered a setback because perpetrators of female foeticide have been a step ahead of the law enforcement system. Among other things, they have been using tiny ultrasound devices, which are difficult to detect, to determine the sex of unborn children. The fact that illegal activities have continued despite efforts of the government highlight the deep rooted nature of the problem. Not only have the perpetrators of the abhorrent practice found new ways to continue their business, but also remain accessible to a significant section of the population.
In light of these developments, updates must be made to pre-existing policies of the government. First and foremost, the central government should make a concerted effort to work in cohesion with governments of the 13 states and UTs which have seen a decline in sex ratio. This would ensure that resources and manpower are employed in the most efficient manner. Secondly, the authorities should focus on dealing with factors that contribute to the prevalence of female foeticide. Often the tendency of Indian families to abort female children is linked to social evils like dowry. Women in India also face multiple roadblocks when it comes to education and employment. All these factors combine to make the task of raising a girl child more difficult in parts of the country. Many families claim that they don’t have the required resources to raise a girl child. The persistence of female foeticide is reflective of outdated and conservative attitudes towards females and their rights. Any effort to improve the prevailing situation will require systematic changes in government approach and policy, as well as the full support and cooperation of the people.