Abysmal sex ratio at birth, Bihar to strictly implement female foeticide law

The Bihar government is alarmed over the state's abysmal sex ratio at birth (SRB) which has been flagged in the latest report of the Centre, and decided to strictly implement measures for checking female foeticide, according to a senior minister.

The SRB — the number of female births per 1000 male births — has been declining in the state, according to the Health Management Information System (HMIS) report of the ministry of health for 2023-24, which placed Bihar among the worst-performing states with an SRB of 882. While the sex ratio at birth was 894 in 2022-23, it was 914 in in 2021-22.

"The declining sex ratio in the state is a matter of serious concern. The state government has initiated a range of welfare measures to improve the gender disparity in the state," Bihar health minister Mangal Pandey told PTI.

"The state's Mukhyamantri Kanya Utthan Yojna covers the period of a girl's life from birth to graduation. The objective of this scheme is to promote the birth of girl children, and prevent female foeticide and gender imbalance.

"Female foeticide is also a moral and social issue. We appeal to people to save the girl child. The NDA government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief minister Nitish Kumar is trying to bring about a shift in the way our society looks at the girl child," he said.

The Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) scheme was launched by the PM in 2015 to address the declining child sex ratio (CSR) and related issues of women empowerment over a life-cycle continuum, the minister said.

An emphasis on mindset change through training, sensitisation, awareness raising and community mobilisation is on the ground, said the minister, adding that the Bihar government will further intensify its campaign to check the declining sex ratio at birth in the state.

As per the HMIS report, Vaishali is the worst-performing district, where the SRB is below 800 in 2023-24, followed by Bhojpur (801), Saran (805), Gopalganj (837), Arwal (844), Jamui (845), Jehanabad (852), Nawada (858), Patna and Sheohar (862 each), and West Champaran (864).

In 2022-23 too, the SRB was low in these districts — Vaishali (819), Bhojpur (811), Saran (821), Gopalganj (848), Arwal (884), Jamui (884), Jehanabad (859), Nawada (896), Patna (889), Sheohar (884) and West Champaran (875).

Chief secretary Amrit Lal Meena recently held a meeting of the departments concerned over the issue and instructed senior officials and district administrations across the state to ensure that Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, 1994 is enforced strictly.

Meena also directed the officials to ensure that several other initiatives taken by the government to check gender disparity, including creating awareness among the masses, are enforced effectively. The meeting was attended by officials of the state social welfare department too.

Speaking to PTI, Harjot Kaur Bahmrah, additional chief secretary of the social welfare department and chairman-cum-managing director of Women & Child Development Corporation, said, "A letter has already been sent to all DMs across the state to ensure strict enforcement of the PC-PNDT Act in their respective areas and effective implementation of the schemes meant to check gender disparity and empower women in the state. This includes intensifying awareness campaigns in the state".

The PC-PNDT Act was enacted to prohibit prenatal diagnostic tests for the determination of the sex of a foetus leading to female feticide, she added. "Districts have been asked to organise mass-level awareness campaigns to save the girl child. People should celebrate the birth of a girl child. We should be equally proud of our daughters," she said.

On the fall of sex ratio in Vaishali, district magistrate Yashpal Meena told PTI: "It is true that Vaishali has reported a drastic decline in the sex ratio. The district administration has intensified its campaign to ensure all initiatives taken by the government are implemented effectively, including Beti Bachao Beti Padhao programme. The PC-PNDT Act is already being enforced in the district effectively."

Bhojpur is another district where SRB has drastically declined. Despite the overall decline in SRB, there are certain districts in the state which have shown an increase in the figures. These districts include Siwan (from 857 in 2022-23 to 881 in 2023-24), Sheikhpura (from 880 to 892 in 2023-24), Banka (from 898 to 909), Bhagalpur (from 917 to 925 ) and Kishanganj (from 926 to 929).