Jaipur: Waking up to the issue of safety and protection of girl child, the health department has trained 650 'rakshaks' to spread the message with the slogan, 'Daughters are precious', in the state.
Rajasthan, which is in a group of seven states with the lowest sex ratio at birth, has taken the initiative to directly reach school and college children and make them aware about the falling sex ratio.
The health department has trained 650 persons as volunteers from various walks of live, who will spread the message in colleges, schools and coaching institutes. A training programme for 'rakshak' volunteers was held in the city on Saturday.
"We have identified over 400 colleges, schools and other educational institutes for organising the 'Daughters are precious' programme on November 17. We are doing this to make students aware of the importance of girl child in the society," said Navin Jain, mission director (state), National Health Mission (NHM).
A recently released gender vulnerability index (GVI) by the Union ministry of women and child development had ranked Rajasthan at 22 among 30 bigger states in the country.
Also, the sex ratio at birth stood at a dismal 893 live female births for every 1,000 live male births as per the last three successive government sample registration statistical reports of 2010-12, 2011-13 and 2012-14.
While the survey showed that the situation has not become worse, it didn't show any improvement.
At the session in the city, health department officials gave a presentation on child sex ratio in the state and country, Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act and other relevant rules, efforts of the state government to improve sex ratio through schemes such as Mukhbir Yojna, decoy operations. Experts also spoke about how girl children were being killed and what's being done to save them.
The session also discussed the root causes of sex discrimination such as poverty, lack of education, low status of women and girls in a male dominated society, obsession for sons fear of dowry, and girl child being considered as a financial obligation.
The incentives
The health department will spread awareness on Mukhbir Yojna under which an award of Rs 2.5 lakh will be given to those who help in decoy operation
Under Mukhbir Yojna, 40% of cash award goes to informant, 40% to pregnant lady and 20% to the attendant of the pregnant lady
The 'Rakshaks' will inform the young generation that child sex ratio (0-6 years) in the state is on the decline.
As per Census 1991, it was 916, it slipped to 909 in 2001 and it further fell to 888 in 2011
Rajasthan, which is in a group of seven states with the lowest sex ratio at birth, has taken the initiative to directly reach school and college children and make them aware about the falling sex ratio.
The health department has trained 650 persons as volunteers from various walks of live, who will spread the message in colleges, schools and coaching institutes. A training programme for 'rakshak' volunteers was held in the city on Saturday.
"We have identified over 400 colleges, schools and other educational institutes for organising the 'Daughters are precious' programme on November 17. We are doing this to make students aware of the importance of girl child in the society," said Navin Jain, mission director (state), National Health Mission (NHM).
A recently released gender vulnerability index (GVI) by the Union ministry of women and child development had ranked Rajasthan at 22 among 30 bigger states in the country.
Also, the sex ratio at birth stood at a dismal 893 live female births for every 1,000 live male births as per the last three successive government sample registration statistical reports of 2010-12, 2011-13 and 2012-14.
While the survey showed that the situation has not become worse, it didn't show any improvement.
At the session in the city, health department officials gave a presentation on child sex ratio in the state and country, Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act and other relevant rules, efforts of the state government to improve sex ratio through schemes such as Mukhbir Yojna, decoy operations. Experts also spoke about how girl children were being killed and what's being done to save them.
The session also discussed the root causes of sex discrimination such as poverty, lack of education, low status of women and girls in a male dominated society, obsession for sons fear of dowry, and girl child being considered as a financial obligation.
The incentives
The health department will spread awareness on Mukhbir Yojna under which an award of Rs 2.5 lakh will be given to those who help in decoy operation
Under Mukhbir Yojna, 40% of cash award goes to informant, 40% to pregnant lady and 20% to the attendant of the pregnant lady
The 'Rakshaks' will inform the young generation that child sex ratio (0-6 years) in the state is on the decline.
As per Census 1991, it was 916, it slipped to 909 in 2001 and it further fell to 888 in 2011
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