A concerning pattern has emerged in Haryana, where a decline in enforcement actions against illegal sex determination and abortion is directly impacting the state's crucial sex ratio at birth (SRB). A recent government review revealed that four districts, which have not conducted a single Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PNDT) or illegal Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) raid for the past four to five months, are now showing clear signs of a worsening gender balance among newborns.
Enforcement Inaction Leads to Disturbing Decline
The special task force (STF) meeting, chaired by Health Secretary Ripudaman Singh Dhillon, focused on this critical mismatch between enforcement and outcomes. The districts of Fatehabad, Sirsa, Yamunanagar, and Bhiwani reported zero raids for months. Consequently, three of them have registered a clear slippage in their SRB numbers for the period from January to November this year.
Sirsa's ratio fell to 922 from last year's 936, a 14-point slide. Yamunanagar dipped from 939 to 926, while Bhiwani went from 914 to 913. Only Fatehabad showed an improvement from 929 to 957 despite the lack of raids, but officials were quick to state that this anomaly cannot be used to justify inaction.
Alarmed by the trend, Dhillon has directed all civil surgeons, nodal officers, and police teams to restart PNDT and illegal MTP raids immediately. He specifically targeted districts with "no action for months," urging them to hit the "fight against female foeticide at its core."
State Average Masks Deep Regional Stress
While Haryana's overall SRB—calculated as the number of girls born per 1,000 boys—has improved from 907 last year to 915 by the end of November, the district-level data paints a far more uneven and worrying picture. This overall increase hides significant stress pockets where the ratio is falling sharply.
Charkhi Dadri recorded the state's sharpest fall, dropping from 870 to 858. Sonipat dropped three points and Hisar dropped one point. In contrast, Gurgaon shows a steady month-on-month improvement, gaining eight points. Rohtak, Palwal, and Ambala are also on a positive trajectory. Districts like Jind, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Mahendragarh, and Panipat have shown consistent improvement.
Health Secretary Dhillon explicitly reminded officers not to take comfort in the rising state average, emphasizing the localized crises.
Crackdown on Legal Loopholes and Data Gaps
The state government is also addressing systemic issues that have hampered effective prosecution. Dr. Virender Yadav, Director of the National Health Mission (NHM) in Haryana, highlighted the high rate of cases collapsing in court. Districts have now been ordered to prepare watertight case files, ensure timely filing of challans, and pursue appeals if a case fails in lower courts.
The health department has sought a three-year compilation of all PNDT and MTP court matters for a comprehensive audit. "FIRs often leave out crucial details," Dhillon noted, "which leads to acquittals even when evidence is strong."
Another major red flag is the under-reporting of births in slum clusters. Several districts continue to miss counting newborns in these areas, which skews the SRB data and masks the ground reality. Frontline health workers have been instructed to conduct door-to-door checks, raise awareness, and ensure every birth is registered.
The government's crackdown follows a broader decline, with the state's average SRB falling to 910 in 2024, its lowest point since 2016. A monitoring round later this month will track whether these directives translate into actual field enforcement. Officials warn that districts failing to act swiftly are likely to show even wider gaps in the next review.
