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This is an archive article published on March 19, 2009

For every 1,000 boys,city has over 1For every 1,000 boys,city has over 100 girls less00 girls less

The child sex ratio (below six years) has been on the decline in the country and villages and districts are now hitting a new low. Pune city,and district,has clearly made its choice and opted for the male child.

The child sex ratio (below six years) has been on the decline in the country and villages and districts are now hitting a new low. Pune city,and district,has clearly made its choice and opted for the male child.

Birth registrations at Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) in 2008 show the sex ratio at birth pegged at 881 girls per 1,000 boys and in Pune rural,it is 875 girls per 1,000 boys.

Health officials at PMC admit that as against 26,383 boys who were registered at birth in 2008,the registrations for girls who were born the same year were only 23,124 and hence the at-birth child sex ratio now hovers around 881 girls per 1,000 boys. “In 2007,it was 871 girls per 1,000 boys,” says Dr D D Chandakkar,Deputy Health Officer,PMC.

Pune rural is a shade worse. Now for the first time,a survey from January to December last year conducted by Pune district health officials at Zilla Parishad points out that the ratio has been skewed further and is a lowly 875 girls for 1,000 boys.

Of the 13 blocks/tehsils in Pune district,the sex ratio of girls (below six years) has declined to 859 girls per 1,000 boys in Baramati,845 per 1,000 in Daund and 831 per 1,000 in Purandhar. These tehsils are barely 110,70 and 40 kms from Pune city.

District health officer Dr H H Chavan said they had monitored the birth of newborns in 1,855 villages in Pune district and were alarmed that the sex ratios have gone to an all-time low.

Even as authorities in Pune urban and rural areas are taking the matter seriously,new schemes can only be implemented after the model code of conduct is lifted.

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Zilla Parishad chief executive Sanjeev Kumar has several plans like sending gifts for every girl born in primary health centres in rural areas.”

In fact,each newborn girl at a primary health centre will be given gifts like mattress or mosquito net,” says Dr N D Deshmukh,additional district health officer at the Zilla Parishad.

In the city,plans are underway to celebrate the birth of a girl child at corporation-run hospitals,says Chandakkar.

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions.   ... Read More


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