TIMES IMPACT
Prez seeks report on hometown sex ratio ……..Sanjeev Shivadekar | TNN
Mumbai: The office of the President Pratibha Patil has sought a detailed report from the state government on the declining child sex ratio in her hometown Jalagaon.
This follows a report in the TOI, on August 6, Prez hometown prefers boys, highlighting the 2001 census which revealed that Kolhapur, Satara, Sangli and Jalgaon had the lowest sex ratio among the 35 districts in Maharashtra. In Jalgaon, for every 1,000 boys, only 880 girls are born for every 1,000 boys, down from 925 girls for 1,000 boys as per the 1991 census.
Archana Datta, Officer on Special Duty (OSD) at Rashtrapati Bhavan, said, The President has expressed concern over the declining child sex ratio. Patil wanted to know the reasons for the declining numbers and a solution to overcome this social issue, she added.
On Tuesday, the Presidents office telephoned Chandra Iyengar, additional chief secretary, state public health and family welfare and district collector of Jalgaon.
We have asked them to prepare a report citing reasons for the fall in the child sex ratio and measures that can help in resolving the issue, Datta added.
While India has a child sex ratio of 970, in Maharashtra 913 girls are born for every 1,000 boys. Ironically, urban and rural areas in Maharashtra have registered the sharpest dip during 1991-2001, while tribal and backward areas have fared better, revealed the statistics.
With Patil taking note of the issue, I am sure that the scenario would change in the coming years, Iyengar said.
Only four other states have a poorer child sex ratio than Maharashtra. These are Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana and Gujarat. The state government has suggested strengthening the PCPNDT Act, which prohibits sex determination tests and gender-specific abortions.