Illegal scanning, abortion on the decline in state, say health officials

Remarking that inspections are conducted periodically to keep a check on centres conducting such scans, Kamalakannan S, superintendent, directorate of medical and rural health services, said, “Since the inception of the Act in 2013, we have registered around 6,500 cases and booked 126 persons – of which judgement was delivered in over 90 cases and around 30 cases are under trial.”

While a total of 22 cases were registered in 2016, 13 cases were recorded during a period from January 2017 to January 2018. These cases have mostly come from Cuddalore, Tiruvannamalai, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri and Salem, he added. 

Besides conducting surprise checks in all taluks and districts, which are below the state average in juvenile sex ratio, the Health Department also conducts various information, education and communication activities, such as street plays, rallies, essay competitions and debates to create awareness about the existence of such an Act. “Despite efforts, awareness continues to remain lower in districts such as Tiruvannamalai and Salem,” stated a health department official, on condition of anonymity. 

A recent Niti Aayog health index report had stated that keeping track of the number of girls born for every 1000 boys born during a specific year is important as it points to any sex selective abortions and female infanticide in practice. “The female sex ratio, which was rapidly falling in the state for a long time, is now recovering,” the official said.