Sex ratio down in state, worst in Muzaffarpur

PATNA: Several initiatives and incentives from the state government for female children notwithstanding, their number has declined in Bihar from 934 per 1,000 males in National Family Health Survey (NFHS) 4 to 908 in NFHS-5 though the national average has improved from 919 (NFHS-4) to 929 (NFHS-5).
In fact, districts like Muzaffarpur showed an alarming figure of only 685 female children per 1,000 males in NFHS-5 compared to 930 in NFHS-4. Second worst was Saran with 779 female children in NFHS-5 compared to 976 in NFHS-4. Darbhanga, Madhubani, East Champaran and Samastipur also have a big drop in the sex ratio. Darbhanga figures dropped from 982 to 812, Madhubani from 954 to 805 while East Champaran and Samastipur witnessed a decline of -159 each. Interestingly, Haryana, infamous for female foeticide, showed an improvement from 836 to 893.

DMs to ensure implementation of PNDT Act
S \tate health secretary Sanjay Kumar Singh said the government has taken this issue seriously and a high level meeting was called by the chief secretary, along with the additional chief secretary of the department some fortnight back on this issue.
Singh said the district magistrates have been made the appropriate officer of preconception prenatal diagnostic techniques (PNDT) Act while earlier civil surgeons were the appropriate officers. The DMs have been asked to crack down on the ultrasound centres functioning illegally as well as those not following the PNDT act.
Social activist Sushmita Goswami, who has closely worked on the issues of female children, especially Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign, said in many sections of society, a girl child is considered a burden and boys an asset.
“Even the technology, meant for better health, is being misused. Now ultrasound can be done with portable machines and one can get the result in a few minutes. In rural areas, such centres have come up in large numbers,” said Goswami, adding there was no denying the fact that sex determination test was happening illegally in the state. One of the district magistrates said people were using various modus operandi to tell the sex of the foetus.
“I was surprised to see that they had two cups, one with a photo of a male child and another with a female child. If the foetus is female, they would keep the cup with a female child’s photo,” said the officer, adding while there is no fixed rate for the ultrasound, even for revealing the sex, people were charged as per their economic status. They see how much a person can pay and charge accordingly. The rate varies from Rs2,000 to Rs 10,000.