APD | India: Cash-award announced to promote girl-childwelfare

By APD writer Rishika Chauhan

NEW DELHI, March 14 (APD) - The government has decided to give cash-awards to families who treat their daughters and sons equally and do not show any preference for sons.

Across Delhi’s 11 districts,five to six families will be chosen who would get the ‘Star family award’ with a cash prize of Rupees 100,000.

The Pre Conception, Pre-Natal Diagnostics Techniques (PC-PNDT) cell will choose the families who would get the award. 

The decision to introduce the plan has been taken by the government to improve the sex ratio in the capital, which in 2016 stood at 902 females born against every 1000 males.

Delhi’s sex ration is less than the national average, which in 2011 census stood at 919 females for every 1000 males. 

Currently the PC-PNDT is developing standard operating procedures so that the district officials can select the families.

According to reports, those families would be selected where the husband or the wife have undertaken sterilisationafter the birth of one or two daughters or have adopted a daughter.

Families who have encouraged girleducation, given them adequate medical attention and supported them despite resistance from family or society will also rank high. 

Moreover rewards will also be given to people who inform the government about illegal centres, which conduct sex determination as it often leads to female feticide. 

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)