PCPNDT

1 Objectives

• To realize a gender equitable society by eliminating illegal practices of pre-birth sex determination/selection resulting in female foeticide through enforcement of PCPNDT Act
• To curb down practices of sex selection and prenatal sex detection through stringent enforcement of PC&PNDT Act, 1994 across the state with special focus on low sex ratio districts.
• To raise public awareness on gender equity through workshop / seminars ,IEC/BCC and audiovisual activities across the state.

The gender and social equity strategies are mainstreamed into the programme strategies and in the various levels of interventions planned under the RCH-II, NRHM which addresses the gender issues both at the systems level and at the services level. The issues like teenage marriage & pregnancy, low utilization of services like immunization, RTI/STD services and maternal health services needs are specifically addressed in perspective of gender, so as to improve the overall health status of women and to achieve the objectives of RCH-II. The PC PNDT Cell is established at State level to address the issue of adverse sex ratio

The state of Jharkhand is also affected by the phenomena of reduction in child sex ratio .The Child sex Ratio & Sex ratio is more than the National Average. According to Census 2011 Sex Ratio of Jharkhand is 947 & that of India is 940.Similarly Child Sex Ratio of Jharkhand & India are 943 & 914 respectively. Inspite of this fact the PC and PNDT Act is being implemented strictly throughout the state of Jharkhand. Nodal officer designated for PCPNDT at state and district level.

The child sex ratio & Sex Ratio in Jharkhand (district wise) is given below.

Table A

CHILD SEX RATIO (0-6 YRS)  of Jharkhand Census 2011

As seen from13 the figures given above, only in Bokaro District the child sex ratio is lesser than the National average. The child sex r14atio is lesser than the Jharkhand average in 8 Districts of Jharkhand. In some districts of Jharkhand the child sex rat15io has actually increased,like in Lohardaga district of Jharkhand increased by 16 points,in West Singhbhum by 11 points & in Pakur district CSR has increased by 1 point. In West singhbhum district both the ratios-Sex ratio & Child Sex Ratio is higher than Jharkhand & National Average. nels ,Ultrasonologists & Ultrasound Clinics Representatives

2.2 Ensure regular meetings of its different statutory bodies

a) Holding meeting of State Supervisory Board at a regular interval; not exceeding 4 months gap between two consecutive meeting,

b) Holding Meeting of State Advisory Committee at a regular interval; not exceeding more than 60 days between two consecutive meetings,

c) Ensuring meetings of District Advisory Committee at a regular; not exceeding more than 60 days of gap between two consecutive meetings

d) Meetings and consultations with various stakeholders held and review of enforcement of PC&PNDT Act at district level through Video Conferencing.

3 Activities

3.1 Organizing Workshop:

• It is proposed to conduct State as well as District level Workshop for Health Professionals to create awareness of the hazards of Sex ratio and at the District level for Health Staff as TOT to carry on the Programme to the Block level and Panchayat level. At the service delivery level, the health service providers will be trained in the area of gender so as to provide gender sensitive services
• It is proposed to conduct Workshops at Block level 2 per year at the rate of 10 thousand rupees per event involving the Health staff, PRI’s members, NGO’s and Media representatives.
• The public at large is still unaware of the provisions of PC & PNDT Act and also regarding the ban of female feticide. It is necessary to reach the public through the electronic and print media, hence adequate provisions are made in the PIP in this regard. Apart from electronic and print media, it is also proposed to conduct a state level workshop and several district level workshops.

3.2 Campaign to save the girl child

• Involvement of community and stakeholders.
• Awareness program with the help of NGOs
• Publicity and information material developed in Jharkhand
• Involvement of print and electronic media to give wider publicity to the issue like advertisement on TV relating to PNDT Act and promotional Girl child schemes in the State.

3.3 Networking With other Stake holder

• Networking with NGOs working on the issue in the area
• Interaction with medical professionals.
• Networking with women and child development department or
• social welfare departments for the promotional schemes of Girl child.
• Networking with schools, college to promote the youth campaign

3.4 Advocacy and BCC for PC-PNDT

• Seminars/ workshops need to be conducted at state/ district/ sub-divisional levels for repeated sensitization of the Appropriate Authorities, Medical Practitioners both public and private, and community
• To enlist the support of professional bodies like IMA, FOGSI etc and other stakeholders like PRIs, religious organizations and community groups.
• Involvement of mass media for dissemination of information
• campaign against sex selection
• Use of folk media for propagation of act

3.5 Regulate ultrasound centres

• All the diagnostic/ USG centres in the State shall be registered and regularly monitored by the Appropriate Authority
• Defaulters will be penalised
• IConducting sex determination test shall be propagated as a crime and a shameful act
• District with poor Child Sex Ratios-Dhanbad,Bokaro,Ramgarh, Giridih,Hazaribagh & East Singhbhum targeted on a priority
• Funds for arranging decoy patients to nab violators of the PNDT Act

3.6 Support needed for implementing changes

• From the Judiciary, Police and other concerned departments
• From all the NGOs
• From the medical fraternity and their professional bodies like IMA/ FOGSI

3.7 Trainings-

To orient the service providers on social equity and gender, the component is built in the trainings package of Adolescent Health, SBA ,IUCD ,PPIUCD and other trainings. For orientation of community the gender issues are included in the trainings of ANM, Sahiya’s and other service provider’s trainings. The special trainings are there on MTPs, RTI/STI, IUD Insertions and sterilization including NSVs.