FIGHT FOR LIFE THAT CHANGED KRISHNAGIRI'S SEX RATIO

T did not begin with a raid, a court order, or a headline-grabbing arrest.

- SIVAGURU S @ Krishnagiri

It began with a number on a chart that refused to make sense. In a routine review meeting, as sex ratios were read aloud like ordinary statistics, one figure lodged itself in Dr G Ramesh Kumar's mind and refused to let go. What followed was not a moment of outrage, but a decade of persistence.From that single point of reckoning, Kumar's work as District health officer (DHO) evolved into a sustained campaign against sex determination and selective abortions. Across Namakkal, Coimbatore, Thanjavur and Krishnagiri, numbers that once told a story of loss were steadily rewritten through relentless inspections, decoy operations and an unyielding pursuit of those profiting from illegal scans, turning quiet resolve into statewide vigilance.

It all began in 2016, when Kumar joined as the DHO in Namakkal. During a district visit, Darez Ahamed then mission director of the National Health Mission and now managing director and CEO of Guidance Tamil Nadu - reviewed the area's sex ratio. Kumar's followup actions earned accolades for the Namakkal collector, as well as those from Thanjavur and Coimbatore.