To mark the celebration of “Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Week-Daughters of New India”, an initiative of Ministry of Women and Child Development, district level consultation with all key stakeholders was held today under the chairmanship of District Development Commissioner, Dr. Shahid Iqbal Choudhary. Deliberating on the issue of declining child sex ratio, Dr. Shahid said that before this alarming issue takes further downward swirls to reach an irreversible stage, it’s the duty of every individual of the society to not only sensitize others but take practical steps in order to set a balance in male and female population. He added that media persons can do play a vital role in this regard by reporting and highlighting the cases of pre-conception and pre-natal diagnosis for sex selection, female feticide and other forms of discrimination against women. He asserted upon the field functionaries such as Anganwari and ASHA workers to sensitize the community about the importance of girl child and the impending threats of sex selection besides properly tracking the pregnant ladies and ensuring institutional deliveries for better health of the infants.Taking cue from Kolapur district of Maharashtra, Deputy Election Officer Rajouri Shrikant Suse said the district administration is working on modalities for linking all Ultrasound machines in the district with “Active Tracker Plus” software which will help in tracking cases of Pre-Conception and Pre-natal diagnosis. Detailed consultation was held on effective implementation of PC & PNDT Act, how to curtail school dropout of girl child, self defense training to the girls, ways and means to ensure 100% institutional deliveries and above all the mass sensitization for changing mind set of the community about girl child. Later, the participants took oath for protection of girl child.DDC also initiated the signature campaign for Beti Bachao and Beti Padhao. Earlier, District Social Welfare Officer, Dr Abdul Kabir apprised that week-long celebration will witness various awareness generation activities and community engagement programmes such as oath ceremonies, rallies, nukkad nataks, street plays, joint door to door campaigns by AWWs and ASHAs, posters/slogan-writing/ drawing/painting competition among school children, tree plantation in the name of girl child, distribution of birth certificates, sensitization/ orientation/ counseling sessions and talk shows on gender, health and nutrition, legal rights and Acts.