State's sex ratio higher than national average
Pioneer News Service
Bhubaneswar: At a time when declining sex-ratio remains a reason for worry due to male-child still being preferred over girl-child and the practice of female infanticide being replaced by female foeticide with the advancement in technology, Orissa has a reason to smile.
According to latest census figures, the sex ratio in India is 933 females per 1,000 males, whereas in Orissa, it is 972 to 1,000. Similarly, the sex ratio of the 0-6 year age group in Orissa is 953 against the national average of 927.
In a recent survey it was found that there has been an increase of 28.23 per cent in the number of working women in the last two decades.
But at the same time, what is shameful is that there has been continuous increase in the number of abortions of female foetuses by working women.
This shows that the shocking practice of female foeticide is not only prevalent among the illiterate families, who consider boy child as kuldeepak, but the educated and well-placed families as well.
Advanced medical technologies like ultra-sonography and amniocentesis are misused for sex determination. Experts point out that such an imbalance in sex ratio would result in increased violence against women in form of polyandry, rape, abduction and sale and purchase of bride.
The State Government has taken stricter steps to control such types of activities. There is a State Advisory Committee, State Supervisory Board and multi-member State Appropriate Authority to control the system.
At the district level, Collectors have been declared as the District Appropriate Authority and SDM is the concerned authority at Sub-division level. A district level Task Force is monitoring the activities of the ultra-sound clinics and nursing homes.
Recently, the Government reconstituted the District Advisory Committees.
The State Task Force, headed by the Chief Secretary, periodically reviews the activities. The authorities of the Health and Family Welfare Department cover various IEC activities under the provisions of Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act-2002 (PNDT).
Date: July 23, 2008 |
