| The Centre plans to introduce a Cradle Scheme on the lines of the one introduced by Tamil Nadu. Has the scheme been successful? |
| No. The scheme was introduced in 1992 by the then AIADMK government, as a short-term measure, to address the practice of female infanticide. This led to increase in number of children being abandoned in the state. |
| During 1992"�96, 136 children were received under this scheme. Till July 31, 2006, 1,768 children were received. The government urged parents to abandon their unwanted female infants, instead of killing them. |
| Critics of the Cradle Scheme claim that infanticide gave way to foeticide after the government started arresting mothers. Is it true? |
| The punitive attitude of the state towards mothers responsible for killing their own infants, did contribute to the decline of female infanticide. |
| More than 50 cases were filed in Salem and Dharmapuri districts in the late 1990s. So we have observed a shift from female infanticide to female foeticide in 2001 in Dharmapuri district, which was evident from the declining sex ratio at birth. The ratio went down to 888 in 2001 in Dharmapuri. This clearly shows that infanticide gave way to foeticide. |
| You were the first to expose infanticide in the state in the 1980s, leading to the Cradle Scheme. Will it stop doctors from making money out of sex-determination tests? |
| The Cradle Scheme will not stop female foeticide. Only strict enforcement of the PCPNDT Act and stern action against the doctors for violation will halt the declining child sex ratio. |
| What are SIRD's initiatives in curbing female infanticide and foeticide in Tamil Nadu? |
| SIRD launched a campaign in December 1998 called Campaign Against Sex Selective Abortion. |
| CASSA and its member organisations are part of the PNDT advisory committees at the district-level. CASSA has also filed several petitions against violations under the PC-PNDT Act. |
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