Haryana govt has intensified statewide campaign to improve gender ratio: Senior official

According to an official statement, Misra directed officers to accelerate reverse tracking of abortion cases, conduct regular inspections of medical stores involved in the illegal sale of medical termination of pregnancy MTP kits and identify unauthorised hospitals carrying out these procedures.

Haryana has launched an intensive statewide campaign to improve gender ratio, with Additional Chief Secretary (Health and Family Welfare) Sumita Misra directing officers to take strict and coordinated action against those indulging in illegal sex determination and related unlawful practices. Chairing the state task force meeting under the 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao' programme on Friday, Misra issued firm directions to officers from the health, women and child development, police, food and drugs administration and Ayush departments to strengthen enforcement, increase field inspections and tighten surveillance mechanisms to curb illegal practices related to sex determination. According to an official statement, Misra directed officers to accelerate reverse tracking of abortion cases, conduct regular inspections of medical stores involved in the illegal sale of medical termination of pregnancy (MTP) kits and identify unauthorised hospitals carrying out these procedures. She also instructed district administrations and police to intensify sting operations to dismantle organised networks involved in illegal sex determination. Officers informed during the meeting that Haryana currently has 1,206 registered MTP centres, of which 201 have been shut down for violations, while the remaining 1,005 centres are functioning under strict monitoring. During 2025 and 2026, authorities conducted 1,240 inspections and issued 58 notices to erring centres during 2025-26 fiscal. The data presented in the meeting also showed a decline in abortion cases, with MTPs below 12 weeks reducing from 47,730 in FY 2024-25 to 43,443 in FY 2025-26. Similarly, MTP cases involving pregnancies beyond 12 weeks declined from 4,291 to 3,841 during this period. In another enforcement initiative, reverse tracking of 606 abortion/MTP cases was conducted between January and March 2026 across all districts. The strategy has helped authorities identify illegal activities and monitor high-risk cases more effectively. Since October 2024, the reverse tracking mechanism has resulted in 78 FIRs against illegal operators, quacks, chemists and others involved in unlawful abortion practices, the statement said. The meeting highlighted Haryana's remarkable improvement in sex ratio at birth (SRB), which has increased from 838 girls per 1,000 boys in 2010 to 923 in 2025 -- the highest ever recorded in the state. Several districts including Panchkula, Fatehabad, Panipat and Karnal have shown significant progress in improving sex ratio in 2025, reflecting the impact of sustained enforcement drives and public awareness campaigns. However, Misra cautioned officers against complacency and stressed that focused efforts were required in districts where sex ratio remains below state average. Taking serious note of the illegal sale of abortion kits, Misra directed authorities to inspect medical stores across the state and take strict legal action against violators. She was apprised that in 2025 alone, 44 chemist shops were sealed, 59 FIRs were registered and more than 6,000 MTP kits were seized during enforcement drives. The state government has decided to conduct intensive awareness campaigns in villages and districts with low sex ratios. Religious leaders, community organisations and local institutions will also be involved to spread awareness against sex determination and encourage respect and equal opportunities for the girl child. Misra suggested that the priests conducting weddings should administer vows to the couple encouraging them to stand against female foeticide and sex determination. Officers said Haryana has registered more than 1,300 FIRs under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC-PNDT) Act, 1994, and Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act since 2014. During this period, the state has conducted over 400 inter-state raids, made thousands of arrests and cancelled registrations of nearly 300 centres found violating the law. Misra said Haryana has made remarkable progress in protecting daughters over the past decade, but sustained vigilance and public participation remain essential to completely eliminate female foeticide from society.