PUNE: In a first-of-its-kind move meant to curb sex determination and female foeticide, the state government will begin monitoring and follow-up of pregnant women who have one or more living female children (daughters) till such time they give birth to the child; officials said on Monday.
The decision has been taken as existing enforcement measures under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, 1994 (amended in 2003) have not proved adequate to prevent sex determination and female foeticide. The public health department has recently issued guidelines to all local bodies in the state, and the initiative will soon be implemented across Maharashtra, officials said.
As per the data provided by the public health department, Maharashtra has 12,459 sonography centres and 6,323 medical termination of pregnancy (MTP) centres. All registered centres in the state are being regularly inspected every three months by the appropriate district or municipal corporation authorities.
Recent advancements in technology have made portable and unregulated ultrasound machines readily available. Unfortunately, these machines have been misused for sex determination and female foeticide in recent years. This in turn has made monitoring and enforcement significantly more challenging, said officials.
Under the new guidelines, ASHA workers will track pregnant women who have one or more daughters and follow up on their pregnancies until such time they deliver. The move was previously discussed during a meeting of the state supervisory board under the PCPNDT Act held on September 23, 2025, and subsequent instructions were issued through official communication and video conferences.
Dr Sandeep Sangale, joint director, state family welfare bureau (SFWB), said, “The aim is to strengthen monitoring at the grassroots’ level and prevent any illegal practices related to sex selection. Tracking such cases will help ensure accountability and timely intervention,” he said.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) suggests that the natural sex ratio at birth is around 105 males for every 100 females, which translates to about 952 females for every 1,000 males. Maharashtra currently has a sex ratio of 912 females per 1,000 males, a decline from 929 females per 1,000 males per the 2011 census.
According to officials, district health officers, municipal health officers and other appropriate authorities have been directed to submit monthly reports on such cases by the 10th of every month through a centralised reporting system.
“The data will be closely monitored at the state level, and the progress will be reviewed by the public health minister. Regular reporting is essential to ensure the effectiveness of the initiative,” said a senior official on request of anonymity.
Following the directions, the appropriate Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) authority for the PCPNDT will soon issue orders to its ward medical officers, medical superintendents, and medical officers to track all pregnant women who have one or more living daughters through ASHA workers until such time they give birth to their children.
Dr Suryakant Devkar, assistant health officer and appropriate PCPNDT authority for the PMC, said that the move could help improve surveillance, and they will implement it sensitively to avoid stigma and ensure that women’s rights and privacy are protected. “The initiative is part of broader efforts to strengthen implementation of the PCPNDT Act and improve gender balance by preventing illegal sex determination practices,” he said.