Buoyed by the success of its flagship programme 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao' (BBBP) which will complete a year tomorrow, the government has decided to extend the scheme to 61 more districts this year to improve the skewed child sex ratio in those places.
The programme was launched in 100 districts with poor sex ratio across the country in January last year.
An increasing trend was registered by the Women and Child Development (WCD) Ministry, the nodal agency for its implementation in at least 50 per cent of the BBBP districts during the first three months of its launch in comparison to the sex ratio at birth in 2013-14.
"More than 50 per cent of our districts showed improvement during initial months of the launch of BBBP. Therefore, we have decided to launch the scheme in 61 more districts this year," a senior Ministry official said.
The first landmark achievement of the programme was registered this month when Haryana declared an upward trend in its child sex ratio, crossing the 900-mark for the first time in the past ten years.
"It is due to BBBP's success that for the first time in ten years, Haryana's sex ratio at birth for December 2015 has crossed the 900 mark with 903 girls per 1,000 boys," he said.
Out of the 100 "worst districts" in India for sex ratio, Haryana accounts for 12 districts. Haryana has had the dubious record of being the worst among states in sex ratio with just 879 females per 1,000 males.
Through BBBP, the government sought to improve the declining trend of child sex ratio (CSR) in 100 selected districts from every state and UT from the current level of 918, by preventing gender-biased sex selection and ensuring survival, protection and education of a girl child.
"In past one year, we did several awareness programmes under the BBBP including radio programmes in Hindi and regional languages, TV adds, SMS campaigns, mobile exhibition vans in all 100 districts," the official said.
