CHENNAI: City Corporation
commissioner G Prakash inaugurated an awareness programme for the ‘Beti
Bachao Beti Padhao’ campaign to outline its action plan for the year
2019-20 at the Chennai Girls Higher Secondary School at Washermanpet. 

He was accompanied by the district
collector of Chennai R Seethalakshmi. The City Corporation, in
association with the District Social Welfare Department has been taking
various initiatives to set right the declining child sex ratio, said a
statement from the Corporation. 

To create awareness, the commissioner
and collector spoke about issues of safety and the need for education
among girls, and also distributed prizes to girls who excelled in
academics, sports and extra-curricular activities, the statement added. 

The Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign was
launched by the Centre in 2015 in an attempt to put an end to female
infanticide. According to the 2011 census the child sex ratio (0-6
years) has shown a decline from 927 females per thousand males in 2001
to 919 females per thousand males in 2011. This has been attributed to
several factors including dowry demands and the belief that only sons
will turn out to be breadwinners, helped by easy accessibility to sex
determination tests. In Tamil Nadu, the child sex ratio went from 942 in
2001 to 943 in 2011.