It was quite a role reversal. Moments after my photojournalist colleague Sayantoni and I introduced ourselves to the chief medical officer of Jhajjar district in Haryana, he did what we as journalists normally do. Reel off a barrage of questions. The first question was new (not what one generally faces while covering renewable energy policy in Delhi), “Bhai-behen kitne hain? (How many sisters/brothers you have?)” and my quick answer was “koi...

The sex ratio in Haryana has dipped again in 2010 after encouraging signs of reversal in 2009, showing that female foeticide is still prevailing across the state. The health department figures for last year show a negative trend in 17 districts in the 0-6 age group. The disclosure has forced the government to do a rethink on policies being framed to arrest the slide. According to figures available till 2010-end,...

Girl child survival is skewedeven in those areas of northern India having limited access topublic health facilities and modern ultrasound technology asfamilies ''neglect'' them to ensure there are few survivors,says a new study. Since families can not know the sex of the foetus dueto lack of technology, girls born in these areas facesystematic healthcare neglect, specially in poorer communitiesto ''dispose them off'', says the study. Allowing the umbilical cord of the newly...

The residents of Mirchpur and adjoining villages, whose sit-in protest at the railway tracks and on highways here entered the 10th day on Monday, remained firm on their demand for a fresh probe into the killing of two Dalits last year after which 98 members of their community were booked. Jind and parts of Hisar and Bhiwani remained cut off from other parts of the State for the third day on...

Search is on for the 15-year-old girl's father, Umed Singh Domestic help offered Rs. 10,000 to take the blame In yet another case of ‘honour killing' in Rohtak, a 15-year-old girl was allegedly murdered at the behest of her father because he suspected her of having an affair with a neighbourhood boy. An accomplice has been nabbed while Umed Singh, the father of the girl, is on the run. The teenager was reported...