In a significant and encouraging development, Haryana has recorded an improvement in its annual sex ratio at birth (SRB) for the first time since 2019. The state's SRB, which measures the number of girls born per 1,000 boys, climbed to 923 in 2025. This marks a crucial reversal from the previous year's alarming dip to 910, the lowest figure recorded since the launch of the flagship 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' campaign in 2016.
District-Wide Performance: Leaders and Laggards
According to provisional data from the Civil Registration System, Haryana registered a total of 5,19,691 births last year. This included 2,70,281 boys and 2,49,410 girls. The performance across districts, however, presented a mixed picture. Three districts achieved an SRB of 950 or above, with Panchkula leading the state at 971, followed by Fatehabad (961) and Panipat (951).
Karnal (944) and Yamunanagar (943) completed the top five. Other districts performing above the state average of 923 included Sirsa (937), Nuh (935), Kurukshetra (927), Ambala (926), Hisar (926), Bhiwani (926), and Kaithal (924).
In contrast, districts in south Haryana, particularly those around the National Capital Region, showed a significant lag. Gurgaon recorded an SRB of 901, while Faridabad stood at 916. Rohtak (898), Sonipat (894), and Rewari (882) were among the weakest performers, with Rewari placed at the very bottom.
Crackdown on Illegal Practices Drives Improvement
Health officials have directly attributed this positive shift to a series of stringent enforcement actions carried out through 2025. The state witnessed a major crackdown on sex-selective abortions and the illegal sale of medical termination of pregnancy (MTP) kits. Following the 2024 decline, a state-level task force was established in March, bringing together officials from health, police, women and child development, AYUSH, the National Health Mission (NHM), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to review the SRB weekly.
Dr. Virender Yadav, Director of NHM Haryana, provided detailed figures on the enforcement drive. "A total of 114 FIRs were registered under the MTP Act and 16 under the PCPNDT Act in 2025," he stated. Ultrasound inspections were intensified, nearly doubling from 3,072 in 2024 to 5,836 in 2025.
A key strategy was the reverse tracking of abortions beyond 12 weeks among women with previous girl children. From October 2024 to December 2025, Asha workers reported 3,292 such cases, leading to 68 FIRs against clinics, chemists, peddlers, and middlemen.
Sustained Enforcement and Long-Term Trends
The crackdown extended to the illegal abortion kit market. The FDA sealed 44 chemist shops and registered 59 FIRs last year, including 17 related to online sales. Authorities seized more than 6,000 illegal kits. As a result of these concerted efforts, the number of abortions carried out beyond 10 weeks fell dramatically from 21,498 in 2024 to 14,204 in 2025. Furthermore, 495 of the state's 1,500 registered MTP centres were shut down for violations.
While the 2025 SRB of 923 is still low compared to many other states, it represents the highest ratio Haryana has achieved. The annual average has historically fluctuated rather than held steady. Some districts show remarkable long-term progress: Panchkula improved from 909 in 2015 to 971 in 2025, and Fatehabad rose from 893 to 961 in the same period. Even Gurgaon, despite its current low ranking, saw an improvement from 858 in 2015.
This data indicates that persistent, multi-departmental enforcement of existing laws against prenatal sex determination and illegal abortions can yield tangible results in correcting the deeply skewed sex ratio, offering a blueprint for sustained improvement in the years ahead.
