mangalore today

Gender ratio in DK a matriarchal district, a concern, needs action


Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Nov 14, 2019:  A workshop was organised by the district administration, the PCPNDT Act district authority, the Zilla Panchayat and the Health and Family Welfare department at the Nethravathi Auditorium in Mangaluru on November 13, Wednesday, on Pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques Act (PCPNDT), 1994;  expressed serious concerns regarding the fall in gender ratio of boys and girls in Dakshina Kannada (DK). A need for efforts towards bringing the district out of the red zone was stressed during the programme.


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Speaking on the occasion, District Health Training Institute Principal Dr Ramachandra Bayari said that, according to the 2001 census, there were 946 girls for 1,000 boys within six years of age in Dakshina Kannada.  “But, in 2011, the number of girl children was only 947. Mandya and Dakshina Kannada districts are identified to be vulnerable in the Mysuru Zone while the problem of gender ratio imbalance is not found in Udupi, Hassan and Chikkamagaluru districts. Dakshina Kannada is in a critical condition, in spite of being economically and literally forward,” he added.

  Inaugurating the workshop, DK DC Sindhu B Roopesh opined that there is a need to introspect on why the problem of gender ratio imbalance is on rise. “A multi-dimensional approach is required to analyse and solve the problems,” DC added. 

The fad for male heir  :  Dr Bayari explained further that the desire to have a male heir is the main reason for the dip in the number of girl children.

“This mind set is found in Mandya. However, serious efforts are needed towards diagnosing the reason for the dip in the number of girl children even though matriarchy is mainly followed in the family system in Dakshina Kannada,” he pointed out.

He suggested a total ban on pre-natal sex determination. “Scanning centres should be kept under tight vigil. Disciplinary action should be initiated against all scanning centres that violate the rules,” he stressed.