New Delhi: India has made notable progress in reducing sex-based discrimination, with 12 states recording a sex ratio at birth (SRB) higher than the national average of 917, Union Health Minister J P Nadda said on Tuesday.
He was chairing the 31st meeting of the Central Supervisory Board (CSB) here to review the implementation of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC and PNDT) Act and to assess the progress made since the last meeting.
Under the PC and PNDT Act, the central government is entrusted with the responsibility to combat the misuse of medical technologies for sex determination and selection.
The primary concern discussed during the meeting was the ongoing battle against sex-based discrimination, leading to sex selection or determination, followed by pre-birth elimination.
Nadda expressed optimism over the country’s progress towards gender equality, citing the 2021-23 Sample Registration Survey (SRS) report, which recorded an improvement in the SRB from 899 in 2016–18 to 917 in 2021–23.
He said measures such as court cases, inspections, and registration of facilities have also shown substantial improvement compared to the previous year.
Referring to the National Sensitisation Meeting held on October 6, he underlined the need for more state-level workshops to address emerging technology-driven challenges such as portable diagnostic devices, genetic testing, and online advertisements for sex determination.
He called for greater sensitisation across states, regular state-wise interactions, and sharing of best practices. The Union minister also lauded the proactive steps taken by states like Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Uttarakhand, and Haryana, including sting operations and the creation of state task forces to curb gender-biased sex selection.
While celebrating these efforts, he called upon other states and union territories to follow suit and contribute significantly to this critical demographic issue.
Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava reiterated the ministry’s commitment to promoting the welfare of women and children and commended the collective efforts of states and union territories in implementing the PC and PNDT Act.
She highlighted the progressive trend in the SRS 2023, which shows improvement in the SRB from 899 in 2016-18 to 917 in 2021-23, females per 1,000 males.
Union Minister of State for Women and Child Development Savitri Thakur praised the government’s efforts to prevent sex-selective abortions and stressed the importance of ending gender bias and son preference.
She added that the nation must commit to promoting a culture that values and safeguards every daughter of India.
Thakur said the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao initiative has played a significant role in promoting the value of the girl child and called for continued vigilance and advocacy to ensure every girl’s birth is celebrated.
The meeting concluded with Nadda urging collective action to ensure the survival and well-being of the girl child and calling upon the medical community to play an active role in addressing sex-based discrimination.
The CSB members reaffirmed their commitment to enforcing the Act and creating an enabling environment for the girl child.
(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)
