We have been documenting the rise of the Indian woman through books, blogs and here in 3L&3S. We are glad to report a remarkably refreshing news in that direction. Much of India, especially North India, has historically suffered from the male child preference resulting in female infanticides and in turn a lop-sided sex ratio. Haryana in particular took the biscuit in that regard. This piece in the Indian Express shows how Haryana has successfully addressed the malaise and turned around its sex ratio at birth, now close to the national average.
“In the 2011 Census, the state ranked among the worst performers in terms of sex ratio at birth, at 834 girls per 1,000 boys. In 2025, this stood at 923, close to the national average of 933 (as per a reply in Parliament by the government in 2023), and a big jump from 910 in 2024….More than 65,000 girls have been “saved” on account of the push to improve sex ratio since 2015, officials say (an estimation of the number of girls who may have been killed due to foeticide otherwise).”
So how have the authorities pulled it off?
It starts with legislation – PNDT (Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques) and MTP (Medical Termination of Pregnancy) Acts and more importantly the enforcement of the same:
“Between 2015 and 2025, Haryana registered 1,375 FIRs, against medical practitioners and ultrasound centre owners, under the two laws, with records showing a sustained campaign even during the Covid-hit year of 2020. If around 100 FIRs were registered in that period, the number stood at 142 in 2021. There was a dip in 2023-24, but in 2025, Haryana officials filed 154 cases.
…With Haryana residents who want sex determination tests visiting centres in bordering states, raids were also conducted by the Haryana administration in these areas. Haryana shares borders with four states: Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Punjab, and Rajasthan. In 2025, 218 inter-state PNDT raids were conducted in Uttar Pradesh, the highest, followed by 89 in Delhi, 83 in Punjab and 26 in Rajasthan.”
It also involved innovative techniques to track and protect pregnant women:
“Last year, we also introduced ‘RCHID’ or ‘Reproductive and Child Health Identity’, a 12-digit unique ID issued to every pregnant woman who is examined at any private or government healthcare institute. That resulted in a 37 percentage point increase in registration of pregnant women. Each and every abortion was tracked, recording reasons, from hospitals to MTP centres to ultrasound centres.
…The monitoring measures also led to the cancellation of licences of ultrasound centres found to be violating rules, as well as seizure of equipment and prosecution of doctors. Special task forces were empowered to track illegal medical termination kits. District officials were made directly accountable for any sudden dips in local sex ratios.
…Haryana government’s offer of Rs 1 lakh for tips on illegal sex-determination centres or illegal abortions also proved decisive. “So far, we have given out around Rs 5 crore to such informers in approximately the last 10 years,”
…One of the measures police use are decoys, who visit such centres pretending to be in need of abortion. They often involve women police constables, but also others. A Sonipat-based widow and mother of four who has been working as a decoy with the state government says: “I have been associated with the Sonipat team for eight-nine years and been part of at least a dozen raids. Because I have four daughters, I realise the importance of a girl child, which is why I voluntarily joined this programme.”
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