It is the use of tourist apartments
Posted: 26 Apr 2018, 07:00NEW DELHI , April 17 (Xinhua) -- One of the biggest trials India has been fighting since gaining independence from Britain in 1947 has been against female foeticide, which is the result of the country prioritizing sons over daughters.
Government after government have chalked out strategies and policies to revert the practice but have apparently failed because of several impediments at the central, state and local level. This has raised new challenges and has only made the fight tougher to deal with.
A lack of coordination at central and state levels has also been a major drawback towards arresting those involved in committing foeticide. It is reflected in several cases that have been reported in the recent past, which has opened a can of worms that suggest only half-baked attempts have been made to curb this social malady.
The arrest of Dr. Babasaheb Khidrapure from Sangli in the western Indian state of Maharastra and the recovery of 19 female fetuses from the hospital run by him, suggests a racket was being run by medical professionals and health officials in allowing illegal sex determination.
This glaring case , which was uncovered after the death of a young woman who had undergone an abortion at Dr. Khidrapure's clinic, revealed the dark secrets and the societal bias that continues to run in the favor of men.
Selective foeticide has become so rampant in India that growing technology and improved literacy rates have failed to act as deterrents.
A look at the recent figures further unveils the sorry state of affairs. As per the 2011 census, the sex ratio dropped to 914 girls per 1,000 boys. It was 866 in Delhi and 899 in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.
Haryana and Punjab, two northern states which have been infamous for low sex ratios , continued to record the same trend with sex ratios at 830 and 846 respectively. The proliferation of sex-determination clinics has only added to the problem as even in Rajasthan, the sex ratio dropped from 909 in 2001 to 883 in 2011.
"Several steps have been taken in the last decade to check on the female foeticide problem but the issue has become rife," said Balwinder Singh, a Delhi-based doctor.
"One of the major action plans was the creation of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act or PCPNDT Act to stop female foeticide in 1994. However, it was so poorly implemented by the states that India's Supreme Court had to issue firm guidelines in 2013 to give it more teeth ," Balwinder said.
Another step which was expected to yield positive results was the registration of female foeticide cases under the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). However, this was started as late as 2014 and most cases have since been recorded from states which are already infamous for their skewed sex ratio, such as Punjab and Haryana.
"It is true that none of the measures that has been taken now have worked. It is a vicious circle and the central government will blame the state government and vice-versa. There is no system to keep track of either the pregnancies or the abortions. We need to start from the bottom, with effective measures also coming from the top. And this has not been happening," said Ravi Rai , a social worker.
The closer to the Indian capital, the deeper and murkier the problems get.
As per the NCRB data, Haryana, the neighboring state, tops the chart for cases registered under female foeticide , with 10 in 2015. Despite a national drop in cases, it recorded an increase as compared to four cases registered in 2014.
Haryana also comes under the spotlight for having the worst sex ratio at birth (SRB), standing at 836 females per 1,000 males, according to the latest National Family Health Survey data. It is a whopping 114 points below the national average , assuming that the deaths of over a hundred girls have gone unaccounted for in the state in 2015-2016.
The social fabric of Punjab is no less glowing with the government having tried all measures from cracking down on illegal ultrasound centers to hiring private detectives. The male-female sex ratio in Punjab in 2011 was 846, while in 2001 it was 798.
A study by the country's premier All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences last year found selective abortion of female fetuses rampant in the nation's capital with female fetuses and new-borns being abandoned in large numbers just within the southern Delhi area.
Added to this, the last UNICEF report states that 500,000 female fetuses are aborted annually, but , for some, these figures are often considered just numbers.
"However, they are for everyone to see and require action more than deliberation. Investigations have often highlighted the modus operandi between touts, midwives and doctors at the local and state level. This means authorities at the state and central level have only been scratching at the surface of the problem, without really knowing how to deal with the problem ," said Dr. G.K. Parthasarthy.
It is a well-known fact that India has a strong son preference. There is an endless pursuit of male heirs. It is a way of life for people, the doctor explained, adding that governments have tried to help by creating policies in favor of female children but that it is not enough.
"Every policy needs action at the local level. We need to keep a check on doctors and continue to raise awareness to change our values and views about women. We need committees and all departments in-sync to reassure parents that a girl is not a burden," the doctor concluded.
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Government after government have chalked out strategies and policies to revert the practice but have apparently failed because of several impediments at the central, state and local level. This has raised new challenges and has only made the fight tougher to deal with.
A lack of coordination at central and state levels has also been a major drawback towards arresting those involved in committing foeticide. It is reflected in several cases that have been reported in the recent past, which has opened a can of worms that suggest only half-baked attempts have been made to curb this social malady.
The arrest of Dr. Babasaheb Khidrapure from Sangli in the western Indian state of Maharastra and the recovery of 19 female fetuses from the hospital run by him, suggests a racket was being run by medical professionals and health officials in allowing illegal sex determination.
This glaring case , which was uncovered after the death of a young woman who had undergone an abortion at Dr. Khidrapure's clinic, revealed the dark secrets and the societal bias that continues to run in the favor of men.
Selective foeticide has become so rampant in India that growing technology and improved literacy rates have failed to act as deterrents.
A look at the recent figures further unveils the sorry state of affairs. As per the 2011 census, the sex ratio dropped to 914 girls per 1,000 boys. It was 866 in Delhi and 899 in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.
Haryana and Punjab, two northern states which have been infamous for low sex ratios , continued to record the same trend with sex ratios at 830 and 846 respectively. The proliferation of sex-determination clinics has only added to the problem as even in Rajasthan, the sex ratio dropped from 909 in 2001 to 883 in 2011.
"Several steps have been taken in the last decade to check on the female foeticide problem but the issue has become rife," said Balwinder Singh, a Delhi-based doctor.
"One of the major action plans was the creation of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act or PCPNDT Act to stop female foeticide in 1994. However, it was so poorly implemented by the states that India's Supreme Court had to issue firm guidelines in 2013 to give it more teeth ," Balwinder said.
Another step which was expected to yield positive results was the registration of female foeticide cases under the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). However, this was started as late as 2014 and most cases have since been recorded from states which are already infamous for their skewed sex ratio, such as Punjab and Haryana.
"It is true that none of the measures that has been taken now have worked. It is a vicious circle and the central government will blame the state government and vice-versa. There is no system to keep track of either the pregnancies or the abortions. We need to start from the bottom, with effective measures also coming from the top. And this has not been happening," said Ravi Rai , a social worker.
The closer to the Indian capital, the deeper and murkier the problems get.
As per the NCRB data, Haryana, the neighboring state, tops the chart for cases registered under female foeticide , with 10 in 2015. Despite a national drop in cases, it recorded an increase as compared to four cases registered in 2014.
Haryana also comes under the spotlight for having the worst sex ratio at birth (SRB), standing at 836 females per 1,000 males, according to the latest National Family Health Survey data. It is a whopping 114 points below the national average , assuming that the deaths of over a hundred girls have gone unaccounted for in the state in 2015-2016.
The social fabric of Punjab is no less glowing with the government having tried all measures from cracking down on illegal ultrasound centers to hiring private detectives. The male-female sex ratio in Punjab in 2011 was 846, while in 2001 it was 798.
A study by the country's premier All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences last year found selective abortion of female fetuses rampant in the nation's capital with female fetuses and new-borns being abandoned in large numbers just within the southern Delhi area.
Added to this, the last UNICEF report states that 500,000 female fetuses are aborted annually, but , for some, these figures are often considered just numbers.
"However, they are for everyone to see and require action more than deliberation. Investigations have often highlighted the modus operandi between touts, midwives and doctors at the local and state level. This means authorities at the state and central level have only been scratching at the surface of the problem, without really knowing how to deal with the problem ," said Dr. G.K. Parthasarthy.
It is a well-known fact that India has a strong son preference. There is an endless pursuit of male heirs. It is a way of life for people, the doctor explained, adding that governments have tried to help by creating policies in favor of female children but that it is not enough.
"Every policy needs action at the local level. We need to keep a check on doctors and continue to raise awareness to change our values and views about women. We need committees and all departments in-sync to reassure parents that a girl is not a burden," the doctor concluded.
China's first cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-1 to be launched
China, Lithuania agree to build stronger ties
Turkish president says constitutional amendments accepted in referendum
Candidates kick off official campaign for upcoming South Korea's presidential election
In pics: tea garden in central China's Henan
PMany people are not aware t.