Haryana’s Bold Gamble: Can Carrot-and-Stick Policy Tip the Sex Ratio?
The Haryana Health Department has unveiled an ambitious, albeit controversial, plan to combat the state’s skewed sex ratio. A new policy, combining incentives and penalties, will target pregnancies deemed at high risk of sex-selective abortions.
This initiative will deploy a massive network of 45,000 frontline workers – 20,000 ASHA and 25,000 Anganwadi workers – to closely monitor 53,460 pregnant women. These women, identified as “most vulnerable”, all have one or more daughters.
The strategy aims to provide crucial support and resources to these families, while also acting as a deterrent against potentially illegal sex-selective practices. The details of the incentives and penalties remain undisclosed, pending official confirmation.
The success of this initiative hinges on effective implementation and community buy-in. Its impact will be closely watched, not only in Haryana, but across India, where gender imbalance remains a significant social challenge. The long-term effects on the state’s demographic landscape will be a crucial factor in assessing its overall success or failure.
