A report has been released by the Niti Aayog named Healthy States, Progressive India.
What are the findings?
Sex ratio at birth (SRB) refers to number of female births per 1000 male births.
It reflects the extent to which there is reduction in number of girl children born by sex-selective abortions
SRB saw a decline in 17 out of 21 large states of the country.
Gujarat records an alarming dip of 53 points i.e 854 females from 907 females per 1,000 males born.
Gujarat is followed by Haryana, which registered a drop of 35 points, Rajasthan (32 points), Uttarakhand (27 points), Maharashtra (18 points), Himachal Pradesh (14 points), Chhattisgarh (drop of 12 points), and Karnataka (11 points).
The improvement in SRB was witnessed in Punjab, which registered a rise of 19 points, followed by Uttar Pradesh (10 points) and Bihar (9 points).
The report also stated that there is a clear need for states to effectively implement the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, 1994 and take measures to promote the value of the girl child.
