Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 150
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 151
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Warning (512): Unable to emit headers. Headers sent in file=/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php line=853 [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 48]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 148]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 181]
LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Policing The Ratio by Amba Batra Bakshi

Policing The Ratio by Amba Batra Bakshi

Share this article Share this article
published Published on Apr 30, 2011   modified Modified on Apr 30, 2011

Correcting The Skew...

Among suggestions made for checking prenatal sex determination are:

    * Police presence outside suspect ultrasound clinics and hospitals
    * An online complaint forum to allow people to inform on erring clinics
    * Mapping of districts, identification of problem regions and analysis of data to determine causative factors
    * Tracking sex ratio through data collection at birth, so that real-time data is available for corrective measures

***

The news of the country recording its lowest sex ratio since Independence has got the government quite worried. The current sex ratio is 914 females (per 1,000 males). In 2001, it was 933. The sharp decline is a clear indicator that the Pre-Conception & Prenatal Diagnostics (PC & PNDT) Act, introduced in 1994 to check female infanticide and selective abortion, has failed.

In a meeting with the health secretaries of 17 states last week, officials of the Union health ministry emphasised the need for new measures to urgently put an end to the practice of prenatal sex determination, which quite often is followed by selective abortion of female foetuses. Apart from ensuring strict implementation of existing regulations, the ministry has asked states to go in for stringent policing.

While the suggestion of the central government has been accepted, sources say the states have conveyed that increasing the fine for violations may perhaps prove a better deterrent. But central officials are not convinced. “The number of people who have been booked since the inception of the law nearly 20 years ago is dismal. We can’t turn a blind eye to this problem any more. Immediate and effective steps have to be taken to stop female infanticide and foeticide,” says a senior health ministry official. “If this requires policing in terms of deploying forces outside clinics and hospitals, it needs to be considered, even if only for the short term. Only when there is fear will we see results.” The states have been asked to give a final report by May 30 on the action that they will be taking.

The PC & PNDT Act was introduced in 1994, when the sex ratio was as low as 927. The current punishment for sex determination is a fine of Rs 2-5 lakh and/or imprisonment up to five years. “It’s a strong law but has failed because of bad implementation. The problem of falling sex ratio needs to be addressed at two levels: first, the mindset of people about having a girl child needs to change; second, there needs to be greater responsibility on the part of the government to book the guilty,” says Sulekha Singh of Action India, a Delhi-based NGO that keeps a check on what happens at ultrasound centres through surprise visits. Other regulations discussed at the meeting include monitoring the use of ultrasound machines and setting up state inspection committees to check prenatal sex determination. The meeting was chaired by Union health secretary K. Chandramouli, who also stressed on the need to involve local administration to enforce the law. Among other suggestions were a detailed mapping of problem districts to identify the reasons for the skewed sex ratio and an online forum for the public to file complaints. The chief stress, though, was on the obvious need for central and state health officials to spread awareness of the problems of a falling sex ratio and implement the existing law in a way that ensures it works on the ground.

The Union health ministry has asked the states to track sex ratio by counting at the time of birth so that real-time data is available for corrective action, if necessary. The states were also informed that funds from the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) could be used for this. Another meeting is slated later to finalise a detailed programme for correcting skewed sex ratio, which can, in the long run, have disastrous demographic consequences for communities and for the nation.


Outlook, 9 May, 2011, http://outlookindia.com/article.aspx?271614


Related Articles

 

Write Comments

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

Video Archives

Archives

share on Facebook
Twitter
RSS
Feedback
Read Later

Contact Form

Please enter security code
      Close