The Bhupinder Singh Hooda Government has thought of a new way to boost Haryana’s flagging sex ratio — by reserving 50 pc teaching posts in schools and colleges for women.It will for be the first time in the history of the state that jobs would be reserved for women in any sphere. The government proposes to bring in vertical reservation system, which will provide 50 pc quota in all the reserved categories, including SC/STs, BCs, ex-servicemen and physically challenged, in both colleges and schools.In a state where the sex ratio fell to new depths in the last census, this step aims at empowering women and boosting their social status besides bringing in sea change in the male-dominated education department with a strength of about 1,25,000 teachers. Women constitute only 20 to 25 pc of this number. The government is also planning to introduce all-girl schools and colleges on the pattern of all-women police stations. Hooda has okayed the proposal and Education Minister Phool Chand Mullana has asked the department to prepare a draft.Krishan Kumar Khandelwal, director, Secondary Education, said the proposal was part of the department’s endeavour to strengthen studies in the schools besides curtailing the dropout rate among girls. The previous Chautala Government had introduced a scheme wherein bicycles were given to girl students in villages.The state also has a provision for free education to girls up to graduate level. ‘‘Despite all this, parents still feel their daughters stand little chance in the job market. The job quota would inculcate a sense of security among the girls and their parents,’’ said a senior officer.At present, the government does not have adequate number of women teachers for its existing all-girl schools and colleges. Which is why even though the rules state that only male teachers above the age of 50 can be posted there, this norm is often flouted for want of teachers.Hooda’s extra sop for girl childNew Delhi: The Haryana government has decided to offer an extra cash incentive for couples who choose to have a second daughter. CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda said parents would be entitled to a grant of Rs 5,000 per year till the girl turns five. ‘‘We have observed that couples who have a girl as their first child will go to any lengths to make sure that the second child is a boy . So, a lot of unborn girls are killed,’’ he said.Hooda’s incentives would be in addition to the sops given by the previous Chautala government for encouraging single child —— preferably a girl —— families. Named Devirupak, the scheme offers a family opting for a girl child a sum of Rs 500 per month till the girl turns 18. The NCW, in its annual report, pointed out that Devirupak had failed to improve the survival rate of girls. It said couples generally planned for a boy that gave them a steady income of Rs 200 and in that process female foetuses continue to get aborted. — Aasha Khosa
