After a probe by India Today exposed a growing female foeticide racket in Haryana—leading to a drop in the state's sex ratio at birth—the government has formed a task force to stop illegal abortions. Also, out of 1,500 Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) centres in the state, 300 have either had their registrations cancelled or were shut down voluntarily.

A task force has been formed under the leadership of Dr. Virender Yadav, the Director of the National Health Mission-Haryana. It includes senior officials from the health department, women and child development, drug control, and police. This team has been instructed to carry out field visits and hold review meetings every Tuesday. These steps were taken after data revealed a drop in Haryana’s sex ratio at birth — from 923 girls per 1,000 boys in 2019 to 910 in 2024. This decline happened even after the launch of the 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' scheme by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Panipat, Haryana, back in 2015. To understand how serious the situation is, an India Today team travelled across Haryana for two weeks to find out how the strong preference for sons is causing more cases of killing baby girls before or after birth.

In an exclusive interview with India Today, Dr. Virender Yadav shared that 23 abortion centres have received notices, and FIRs have been filed against 17 online sellers of MTP kits. He mentioned that 23 raids were carried out at these centres to strictly enforce the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act. As a result, some officials have faced serious consequences. The PNDT nodal officer of Hisar district has been suspended, and show-cause notices have been given to senior medical officers (SMOs) at 12 Community Health Centres (CHCs). Moreover, medical officers from three CHCs with the worst sex ratios have been charge-sheeted. PNDT nodal officers in five districts with the lowest sex ratios – Charkhi Dadri, Rewari, Rohtak, Gurugram, and Faridabad – have also been replaced.

Dr. Yadav also emphasised that IVF and ultrasound centres are being closely monitored. Any IVF centre that is not registered will be shut down, and those with suspicious sex ratio records will be investigated. In addition, legal action has started against agents involved in illegal abortion activities. India Today’s investigation has uncovered a heartbreaking case involving a woman named Pooja, a mother of two daughters. She was forced to abort her third child because it was a girl. But showing great courage, Pooja decided to leave her in-laws and gave birth to her baby girl. Now, the civil surgeon of Hisar is getting ready to file a criminal case and FIR against a woman named Usha, who is said to be involved in illegal abortions. Authorities are also investigating Pooja’s in-laws and the doctor who carried out the sex determination test.

To improve the unbalanced sex ratio, several efforts are already underway. About 62,000 pregnant women who already have at least one daughter are being given counselling through the 104 helpline. ASHA workers are now keeping a close watch on pregnant women who have multiple daughters. They will also get a reward of ₹1,000 if a girl child is born. According to the Haryana government, the sex ratio has improved and now stands at 911 girls for every 1,000 boys since March.