CHANDIGARH, JUL 8
Haryana has done it again, that too in a short span of six months. The young state has bagged three awards, including one state- level and two district-level awards, for consistent performance in respect of the Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) under the National Programme Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP). The two districts of Haryana selected for the award are Bhiwani and Mahendragarh.
Disclosing this here today, an official spokesman said the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development would felicitate Good Performing States/UTs and districts at a function to be held in New Delhi on August 7, 2019.
Five states and their 10 districts all over the country have been shortlisted for the award for their consistent performance in SRB over the last five years. The Union Minister of Women Child and Development will grace the occasion and felicitate the states and districts, he added.
It may be recalled that early this year, Haryana was conferred one state and three district level awards for excellent performance under the BBBP and was felicitated and recognized by the Union Minister, MWCD, in New Delhi on January 24, 2019 on the occasion of “National Girl Child Day”.
The spokesman said Haryana which was ranked second lowest in child sex ratio (CSR) at 819 in 2001, further slid down to the lowest rank among the states with 834 in 2011. The SRS statistical report 2012 also ranked the state at the bottom among all states with SRB of 857.
On January 22, 2015, the Prime Minister, Mr Narendra Modi, launched the national flagship ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (B3P)’ campaign from Panipat in Haryana, posing a s challenge to the state to demonstrate its commitment and show the way in saving the girl child. The chief Minister, Mr. Manohar Lal accepted the challenge and set up a small B3P secretariat in his office to directly monitor its implementation with district magistrates and other stakeholders.
Concerted efforts made by the state government under the leadership of Chief Minister started showing results. Monthly SRB touched 900-mark for the first time since January 2005 in December 2015 and yearly SRB touched 900 -mark for the first time since year 2000 in year 2016 (first time in 17 years), which is a huge achievement. Haryana achieved sex ratio at birth of 914 for 2017 against 871 in 2014 (remarkable increase of 43 points) since the onset of this campaign, he added.
Eighteen out of 21 districts (data for the 22nd district of Charkhi Dadri District not yet separated) are having sex ratio at birth of 900+ and none is below 890, barring Jhajjar, which is at 862 as per SRB data of up to month of April 2019. Even the state maintained this figure of SRB at 914 during 2018 showing sustainability of the campaign in the state. Yearly SRB since 2000 and monthly SRB since January 2005 have never touched 900.
The early gains have emboldened the political leadership and all deputy commissioners to aim for 950+ SRB in the near future considered ideal by international public health experts. Improved SRB from 2016 to 2020 will automatically result in higher Child Sex Ratio (sex ratio of children under five years of age) in census 2021. Taking Sex Ratio at Birth of 871 in 2014 as baseline, Haryana could save more than 20,000 girls since after launch of B3P campaign in the state.
The spokesman said in the January 2016 edition of ‘MAN KI BAT’, the Prime Minister appreciated the efforts of the state government in saving the girl child. The strategy of launching B3P campaign from Haryana has been successful with Haryana showing the path in fight against female foeticide, he remarked.
The success story of B3P campaign launched in Haryana attracted the attention of national as well as international media which published reports. These include Wall Street Journal, New York Times and The Scroll.
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