New Delhi– Along with traditional media like newspapers, radio and televisions, the government used social media platforms like Twitter and YouTube to create awareness among the public against female foeticide, the Centre has told the Supreme Court.
In an affidavit, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said it has released a total sum of Rs 1 crore in two instalments for publishing advertisements of different sizes in newspapers. The apex court had earlier observed that “female foeticide is the worst type of dehumanisation of the human race”, while noting the law relating to pre-natal sex determination was misused with “impunity” in the country Deccan Herald, reported.
The sex ratio in the country has been recorded as 940 females per 1000 males in 2014. The number of females has been gone below 900 against the males in different states with the worst sufferers being Haryana (857), Punjab (863), Uttar Pradesh (874), Delhi (884), Rajasthan (893), Jammu and Kashmir (895) and Maharashtra (896).
Hearing a PIL filed by the NGO Voluntary Health Association of Punjab, the court had on May 6 directed the government to carry out advertisements and use social media to make general public aware about the possible legal fall out for resorting to female foeticide.