Three decades of sex determination ban in Haryana

Recently, the Haryana’s sex ratio at birth has dipped by 11 points between January and May, 2023.

• In 2022, the state registered 917 female births per 1,000 males.

• Demand for gender determination tests in Haryana has sparked price wars in neighbouring Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, even though predictions are often wrong.
• Haryana had recorded the lowest sex ratio at birth (SRB) as per the 2011 census, with 834 female births per 1,000 males.
• Touts and operators offer to reveal the gender of a foetus using DIY palm-held sonography devices.
• Tests cost as Rs.10, 000 in neighbouring states, and between 50, 000-Rs 1 lakh in Haryana.
• This has drawn concern for the state government and several measures have been taken to resolve the issue and find the culprits.

The Preconception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act 1994:

• The PC-PNDT Act was enacted on 20 September 1994 with the intent to prohibit prenatal diagnostic techniques for determination of the sex of the foetus leading to female feticide.
• The preliminary object was to put a check on female foeticide.
• The few basic requirements of the Act are:
  • Registration under Section (18) of the PC-PNDT Act.
  • Written consent of the pregnant woman and prohibition of communicating the sex of foetus under Section 5 of the Act.
  • Maintenance of records as provided under Section 29 of the Act.
  • Creating awareness among the public at large by placing the board of prohibition on sex determination.
• Provision under the Act:
  • The Act provides for the prohibition of sex selection, before or after conception.
  • It regulates the use of pre-natal diagnostic techniques, like ultrasound and amniocentesis by allowing them their use only to detect:
• Genetic abnormalities, metabolic disorders, chromosomal abnormalities, certain congenital malformations, haemoglobinopathies and sex-linked disorders.
  • No laboratory or centre or clinic will conduct any test including ultrasonography for the purpose of determining the sex of the foetus.
  • No person, including the one who is conducting the procedure as per the law, will communicate the sex of the foetus to the pregnant woman or her relatives by words, signs or any other method.
  • Any person who puts an advertisement for pre-natal and pre-conception sex determination facilities in the form of a notice, circular, label, wrapper or any document, or advertises through the interior or other media in electronic or print form or engages in any visible representation made by means of hoarding, wall painting, signal, light, sound, smoke or gas, can be imprisoned for up to three years and fined 10, 000.

Why the trend is on rise?

• Easy access to illegal tests: With the advances in technology, sex determination has become easier very early on in pregnancy with fatal consequences for the girl child.
• Son obsessed society: Female foeticide is due to strong son preference, the practice of dowry and the patrilineal necessity of heir.
• Social Blindness: In Indian society, a son is considered the upholder of the family name, which he passes on to his son and so on. Many Hindu families believe that a person is guaranteed a place in heaven only if his or her son lights the funeral pyre and spreads the ashes in the river Ganges. 
• Financial and cultural burden of a female child
• Safety concerns: People don’t want girls all the more as they feel that it is difficult to keep them safe.

Possible consequences:

• Distorts the natural sex ratio: The practice of sex selection distorts the natural sex ratio, leading to a
  • gender imbalance
  • reinforcement of discrimination against women
  • devaluation of females
• Lack of Young Women for marriage: As per the studies of Haryana, there is a lack of brides for young boys and thus they need to buy brides form neighbouring states called as ‘mol ki bahuein’.
• Increase in Child Marriage: In case of less girl child, the probability of child marriage gets increased in the society, especially can be seen in areas like Rajasthan, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh.
• Affects Women reproductive health: In the hope for a Son, the women are forced to get pregnant multiple times which impact their reproductive health.
• Increase chances of diseases: Under-five mortality for girls in India remains 8.3% higher than for boys. Globally this is 14% higher for boys.
• Human trafficking: Due to skewed sex ratio, men increasingly approach human smugglers, who supply them with women trafficked from poor families from countries like Bangladesh.
• Economic consequences: The economic consequences are grave for this means that a huge proportion of the productive population is missing and also the lack of women impairs the ability of men to work.

Government Interventions:

• Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign in 2015
• Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana: Launched in 2015, in order to promote the welfare of girl child. It encourages parents to invest and build funds for the future studies and marriage expenses of the girl's children.
• CBSE Udaan Scheme: UDAAN is a project launched by the CBSE to address the low enrolment of girl students in prestigious engineering institutions and the teaching gap between school education and engineering entrance examinations.

The declining sex ratio calls for much greater social and political will and the willingness to take the help of powerful organised entities like the clergy and of course civil society groups.