Drop in child sex ratio: NCW asks govt to fill gaps

Describing the unprecedented decline in child sex ratio in the country as 'alarming', National Commission for Women today said there were several 'gaps' in the law for curbing pre-natal sex determination and the government should take steps to check them.

NCW chairperson Girija Vyas said she will be writing to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on bridging the gaps in the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex selection) Act. She said the government should ensure passing of a proposed bill sent to it in this regard by the commission.

She said a meeting will be held here tomorrow in which chairpersons of state women''s commissions will discuss the issue of declining child sex ratio among other matters of concern like domestic violence and trafficking. "What is alarming is that in the latest Census, the 0-6 child sex ratio has dropped to 914, the lowest since independence. There cannot be a more unfortunate situation than this. We had apprehensions but we also did not expect it to be so less," she told reporters.

Vyas, whose term as chief of the women''s body will end after two days, said though the PC-PNDT Act is a powerful legislation and it has already been reviewed once, "there are still quite a few gaps" about which the NCW had indicated to the government earlier.

"We want the government to pass the proposed bill sent by us as soon as possible," she said. Vyas also pointed to new technologies available for pre-natal sex determination.

"Earlier, there was only ultrasonograpy machine, but now sex determination can be done by blood tests too. There are websites with information on ways to conduct it. There are small sonography machines which can be carried clandestinely.

Some areas of Rajasthan, Gujarat and MP have seen such activities. A national-level monitoring committee should look into all these issues," she said. The NCW chief also favoured increasing the penal provisions for sex determination so that violators do not get away with simple suspension of licences.

"The conviction rate is also too low," she said adding, there should also be a provision for complaint by a third party to achieve convictions in cases of sex determination.

Vyas said the states should formulate special rules and focus on implementation of special schemes for girl child. The census figures have revealed a national child sex ratio of 914 girls per 1000 boys, lowest since independence and down from the previous census figure of 927.