Health Minister orders strict enforcement of PCPNDT Act to improve sex ratio in Maha

The minister suggested that a team of dedicated volunteers be formed to work on the issue and a standard operating procedure be developed for them

In a bid to improve the sex ratio in Maharashtra and prevent female foeticide, state health minister Prakash Abitkar on Tuesday issued orders to strictly implement the Pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act 1994, officials said. Abitkar issued orders during a state-level supervisory board meeting. He instructed that district-level supervisory committees be formed within a month, and that these committees conduct regular workshops to ensure effective enforcement of the law. The minister emphasised that preventing illegal sex determination and promoting gender equality must become a collective responsibility.

Abitkar stressed that crimes such as female foeticide should be curbed through both legal action and social awareness. (HT)

“Improving the birth ratio of girls and strengthening the gender balance requires serious and consistent efforts. There should be awareness campaigns on social media, active participation from Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs), and the involvement of village-level committees to educate communities. Schools and colleges should be encouraged to hold counselling sessions to change mindsets while local representatives should be engaged in awareness drives,” Abitkar said.

The minister suggested that a team of dedicated volunteers be formed to work on the issue and a standard operating procedure be developed for them. Abitkar stressed that crimes such as female foeticide should be curbed through both legal action and social awareness.

The state-level supervisory board meeting reviewed the district-wise birth ratio data based on civil registration reports, and assessed ongoing actions by the health department. During the meeting, MLA Manjula Gavit and Sulabha Khodke; Dr Kadambari Balkawade; and health director Dr Vijay Kandewad were present among others.

In Pune city, action against sonography centres that violate norms has been slow due to health officials’ lax attitude towards the implementation of the PCPNDT Act and Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act 1971, activists claim. Since 2002, MTP centres in the city have risen from 362 to 391 whereas there are 632 registered sonography centres. The only action the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has taken in the past has been the temporary suspension of licences for periods ranging from 24 hours to eight days for violation of the PCPNDT Act. This has resulted in a decline in the sex ratio at birth in Pune city.

Vivek Velankar, civic activist, claimed that the decline in the girl child birth ratio in Pune over the last four years is alarming and that the concerned authority is falling short of preventing sex determination. In 2020, the birth ratio was recorded as 946 girls for every 1,000 boys. However, for the past four years, this figure has been stagnating at around 910 girls for every 1,000 boys.

Velankar said, “For a city like Pune known as the home of education and culture—this is a serious warning sign. A ratio of at least 950 girls per 1,000 boys is considered healthy for society; a level we had almost reached in 2020. But the decline over the last four years is certainly a matter of concern. I request the PMC commissioner to take serious view of this and urgently examine whether the municipal corporation’s Sex Determination Prevention Unit is falling short of its responsibilities.”

The World Health Organisation (WHO) suggests that the natural sex ratio at birth is around 105 males for every 100 females, which translates into about 952 females for every 1,000 males.