Pune, Jan 31 (Bureau) There is need for strict implementation of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act to improve the male-female ratio in Maharashtra as the youth of marriageable age struggles getting brides just because the male-female ratio is skewed in the state said Dr Naresh Purohit ,Advisor for National Reproductive and Child Health (NRCH) Programme. Voicing his concern on the declining sex ratio Executive Member of the Federation of Reproductive Health Service – India (FRHS ) Dr Purohit told UNI here that Maharashtra’s sex ratio was 889 girls per 1,000 boys. “This inequality exists because of female foeticide and the government is responsible for this disparity,” he alleged Noted Epidemiologist Dr Purohit stated that the child sex ratio is defined as the number of females per 1,000 males in the age group 0–6 years. Ideally, the sex ratio at birth should be 1:1 since gender imbalances have negative consequences on society.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) suggests that the natural sex ratio at birth is considered to be around 105 males for every 100 females, which translates to about 952 females for every 1,000 males. Renowned Reproductive Health expert averred that the declining sex ratio in Pune district is a matter of serious concern. He said that according to recent data of Pune Municipal Corporation(PMC) the child sex ratio at birth has dropped drastically , with female births per thousand males falling to 918 in 2022 from 946 in 2020. Despite the stringent norms of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act and the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act of 1994, the decline raises concerns about the Act’s effectiveness.
“The reason behind this decline is that many people had shifted back to their workplace after the lockdown in 2020 – 2021 due to which even though the pregnancies were reported in Pune, births were reported somewhere else.”he added. “On the one hand, the child sex ratio at birth has decreased while the number of MTP centres in Pune city has increased from 362 to 391. In addition, the number of registered sonography centres has risen to 632.”he said. “In a city like Pune, where the majority of the population is educated it is a worrisome trend.” he observed. He urged the health officials to increase its efforts to determine the cause of the decline, and accordingly, they should find the solution.