Haryana Tightens IVF Rules To Tackle Sex Ratio

The decision was necessitated following the latest government data showing gender imbalance in the state: 910 girls per 1,000 boys in 2024.

- NEERAJ MOHAN

The Haryana government's directive requiring couples with an existing daughter to obtain prior approval from the District Appropriate Authority (DAA) before undergoing in vitro fertilisation (IVF) is being viewed as a strong measure to curb the persistent preference for male children and address the state's declining sex ratio.

The decision, taken during a high-level review meeting of the State Task Force (STF) on sex ratio and reproductive health chaired by Health and Family Welfare Minister Arti Singh Rao, is a part of a series of stringent measures aimed at curbing sex-selective practices and regulating the misuse of advanced reproductive technologies.

The directive is a part of the state's broader campaign to reinforce the objectives of the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (BBBP) programme, which was originally launched from Haryana's Panipat district in 2015.

As per the details provided by the Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Sudhir Rajpal, the directions will be applicable for couples who already have one or two daughters and seek to undergo in vitro fertilisation (IVF).

The officials said that the decision was necessitated following the latest government data showing gender imbalance in the state. The latest figures revealed that Haryana recorded a sex ratio at birth of only 910 girls per 1,000 boys in 2024, marking its lowest point in eight years. The number of girls declined from 916 in 2023 and a notable decline from 923 in 2019.

However, the state witnessed an improvement soon after the launch of the BBBP campaign in 2015 when intensive awareness campaigns, legal enforcement, and public engagement had led to a modest improvement in gender parity. But it started declining again in 2019.