In its ongoing crusade against female foeticide and change the mindset of the people about girl child, Haryana Government has launched a scheme to gift items of ‘Navratri puja’ like coconut, Prasad, Bell and Chunri to families of girls during Navratri festival.
Navratri is a festival dedicated to the worship of the Hindu deity Durga and is celebrated all over India.
Haryana Women and Child Development Minister, Kavita Jain on Thursday said during Navratri festival, the Shri Mata Mansa Devi Shrine Board would gift items of ‘Navratri puja’ to families of girls born in district Panchkula.
The Minister after paying obeisance at the Mata Mansa Devi Shrine also expressed her concern over the poor sex ratio in rural area of district Panchkula.
Jain, while talking to the mediapersons said that the ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ campaign is aimed at creating public awareness regarding the need for protection and welfare of the girl child. Therefore, government and the people should work together to make this campaign a great success, said the Minister.
From distributing free gift vouchers to oath certificates to the public, Haryana Government has in the past two years adopted several innovative campaigns to promote the cause of the girl child and combat the gender imbalance in the state.
The State Government has launched various initiatives including organising ceremonies to celebrate birth of girl child at health institutions and villages, unfurling of National Flag by educated girls on Republic day and Independence day celebrations, honouring parents of girl child at village level celebrations, observing ‘Female Foeticide Conservation Day’, signature campaign and oath ceremonies against female foeticide in education institutions and government offices, cash award for villages successful in improving skewed sex ratio, organizing baby shows, prabhat pheries, celebrating lohri of girl child, appointing girl ambassadors and mascots to create awareness, to name a few.
Haryana, which had the worst sex ratio among states in the 2011 census, was chosen by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to launch the nationwide ambitious ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ in 2015, which is now implemented in 20 districts of the state.
Haryana had the lowest child sex ratio of 834 compared to the national average of 919 (according to census of India 2011). A year later, the state had recorded sex ratio at 903 in December— the first time in a decade that it had crossed 900 in Haryana.
The state is now aiming to achieve the target of more than 950 females per 1,000 males in the sex ratio at birth (SRB) by the end of this year.