Haryana Women and Child Development Minister, Smt. Shruti Choudhry said that in the state, the ‘Beti Bachao–Beti Padhao’ programme is not just a scheme, but has become a widespread mass movement bringing positive change in social thinking.
Through this, continuous, meaningful and result-oriented efforts are being made to encourage the birth of girl children, increase respect for them, and establish gender equality in society.Women and Child Development Minister, Smt. Shruti Choudhry said this during a felicitation ceremony held at her residence in Chandigarh on Thursday, organised to honour districts that have shown excellent improvement in sex ratio at birth.
She said that Haryana has made remarkable progress in this direction. While the sex ratio at birth was 871 in 2014, it has increased to 923 in 2025. This change is the result of a positive shift in societal mindset and effective government policies.
The Women and Child Development Minister said that several important steps have contributed to this improvement. These include strict implementation of the PCPNDT Act, action against illegal sex selection, targeted action against misuse of MTP, innovative initiatives like reverse tracking of pregnancies, and better coordination among various departments.
She informed that strict action has been taken against illegal activities by conducting 43 raids in Fatehabad, 83 in Panipat, and 24 in Panchkula. She further said that the best performing districts in 2025 include Panchkula (971), Fatehabad (961), and Panipat (951). Officers and employees of these districts are being honoured for their outstanding work.
She said that this honour is not just recognition of achievements, but also a message to further strengthen respect and equality for the girl child in society. The state government is committed to ensuring a bright future and empowerment of daughters.
She added that the improvement from 871 to 923 reflects the successful implementation of the ‘Beti Bachao–Beti Padhao’ programme and the collective awareness in Haryana, and the government will continue to make efforts to improve it further in the future.
She informed that the ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ scheme was launched on January 22, 2015, to improve the declining child sex ratio in the country and promote the empowerment of women and girls. This scheme is an important part of the ‘Sambal’ sub-scheme under ‘Mission Shakti’, which works to ensure safety, education, and equal opportunities for girls at every stage of life.
She said that the main objectives of this scheme are to improve the child sex ratio, promote gender equality, eliminate gender-based discrimination, ensure the safety of girls, and encourage their education and participation.Commissioner and Secretary, Women and Child Development Department, Sh. Shekhar Vidyarthi, Director Dr. Priyanka Soni, along with other officers and employees of the department, were present during the felicitation ceremony.