Women and Child Development and Textiles Minister Smriti Irani notified that the Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) increased by 13 points nationally since the implementation of the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (BBBP) programme from 918 in 2014-15 to 931 in 2018-19. These figures vary from the second Health Index Report released by NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog in June 2019 which showed decline in SRB in 12 out of 21 states between 2013-15 and 2014-16.
Key Points:
- Reason for variance: The data compiled by the ministry was drawn from the Health Management Information System (HMIS) updated by Anganwadi and Asha workers, which considers home deliveries and births in government institutions only. It lacks information from private hospitals and institutions.
- Data of Niti Aayog: It is based on the National Family Health Survey-4. It collected the information from household surveys too. As per the Aayog’s figures, based on sample registration data, in the 2014-2016 period, of the 21 large states, only 2 – Kerala and Chhattisgarh – had an SRB of above 950 girls per 1,000 boys.
- Improvement: Haryana, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh were felicitated for improvement in SRB at a function in New Delhi by the minister Smriti Irani. Kameng District of Arunachal Pradesh has registered a sharp improvement in SRB from 807 in 2014-15 to 1039 in 2018-19. In Mahendragarh district of Haryana, the SRB had risen to 916 from below 800 mark in 2001. Tiruvallur District of Tamil Nadu recorded an impressive increase of 38 points in SRB from 925 to 963 in the last one year.
- Awards: 10 districts selected for improvement in SRB- East Kameng (Arunachal Pradesh), Mahendragarh and Bhiwani (Haryana), Udham Singh Nagar (Uttarakhand), Namakkal (Tamil Nadu), Jalgaon (Maharashtra) Etawah (Uttar Pradesh), Raigarh (Chhattisgarh), Rewa (Madhya Pradesh) and Jodhpur (Rajasthan) were also felicitated during the programme. 10 districts selected for good work in awareness generation and outreach activities under BBBP were also felicitated- Tiruvallur (Tamil Nadu), Ahmedabad (Gujarat), Mandi, Shimla, Sirmaur (Himachal Pradesh) Kishtwar (J&K), Gadag (Karnataka), Wokha (Nagaland), Farrukhabad (Uttar Pradesh), and Nagaur (Rajasthan).
About BBBP Scheme:
The BBBP scheme was launched on 22nd January, 2015. It is being implemented in 640 districts and all districts are covered through advocacy and media campaign. Out of these districts, 405 are covered under Multi-Sectoral Intervention in which 100% Centrally Sponsored Scheme grant is provided directly to the District Magistrate/District Collector for BBBP.