For Every 1,000 Boys Born In Gurugram, How Many Girls? The Answer Was Getting Better — Until 2026
For Every 1,000 Boys Born In Gurugram, How Many Girls? The Answer Was Getting Better — Until 2026 Published By, Edited By Last Updated: May
For Every 1,000 Boys Born In Gurugram, How Many Girls? The Answer Was Getting Better — Until 2026 Published By, Edited By Last Updated: May 28, 2026, 15:09 IST From 912 girls per 1,000 boys in 2025 to 862 in just four months of 2026 — the drop alarmed officials enough to order an immediate crackdown on illegal sex determination. Haryana has for decades carried the stigma of being among India's worst performers on sex ratio, a consequence of deep-rooted son preference. (Representational Image) Just a few months ago, Gurugram was Haryana’s poster child for improving sex ratio. Today, the same district is under scrutiny, with officials calling emergency reviews and ordering crackdowns. So what exactly happened — and should you be worried? Here’s everything you need to know. The Good News First Late 2025 brought rare positive headlines for Haryana on an issue that has long embarrassed the state. According to data released by the State Task Force, Haryana recorded 912 girls per 1,000 boys between January and November 2025 — up from 904 during the same period in 2024. Gurugram was specifically named among the top-performing districts, alongside Fatehabad, Panchkula, Panipat, and Rewari. Dr Virender Yadav, director of health services, Haryana, credited the improvement to consistent monitoring, community engagement, and strict enforcement of the PC-PNDT Act across key districts. “Gurugram’s progress highlights how awareness, vigilance, and coordination between departments can make measurable impact," he said at the time. Behind the numbers was real groundwork — health teams cracking down on private diagnostic centres, ASHA workers and anganwadis running awareness drives in urban and semi-urban areas, and tighter coordination between the health and Women and Child Development departments to identify at-risk areas.
It looked, for once, like the system was working. Then Came 2026 On May 26, Gurugram Deputy Commissioner Uttam Singh chaired a District-Level Standing Committee meeting and reviewed fresh data. What he saw was not encouraging. The sex ratio at birth in Gurugram had fallen to 862 girls per 1,000 boys in just the first four months of 2026 — down from 901 in all of 2025. That is a sharp drop by any measure, and Singh responded by ordering stricter monitoring under the PC-PNDT Act and directing officials to intensify action against illegal sex determination tests. From top performer to damage control — in under six months. Wait — Are These Two Reports Even Comparable? This is the important question, and the honest answer is: not entirely. The 2025 figure of 912 comes from the State Task Force and covers nearly a full year of data — January to November — across all of Haryana, with Gurugram mentioned as a bright spot within that. The 2026 figure of 862 comes from a district-level review covering only four months of data, specific to Gurugram alone. Shorter windows are naturally more volatile. A cluster of cases in one part of the district, a spike in unreported births, or even delays in birth registration can swing a four-month figure significantly in either direction. The same data over twelve months might look less alarming — or it might look worse. So yes, the dip is real and officials are taking it seriously.
But it would be premature to conclude that everything that was built in 2025 has unravelled overnight. The Number That Rarely Gets Mentioned Here is the uncomfortable truth that both reports quietly acknowledge: even Haryana’s best recent figure — 912 girls per 1,000 boys — is still well below the natural sex ratio of around 950-952. There was never a point where the problem was solved. The campaigns, the crackdowns, the awareness drives — they moved the needle, but never enough. Haryana has for decades carried the stigma of being among India’s worst performers on sex ratio, a consequence of deep-rooted son preference, agricultural land inheritance customs, and the persistent availability of illegal sex determination despite a law banning it since 1994. Districts like Sirsa, Sonipat, and Charkhi Dadri were actually issued show-cause notices in late 2025 for declining numbers even while Gurugram was being praised — a reminder that improvement in one pocket does not mean the problem is retreating statewide. So What Happens Now? Officials in Gurugram are not waiting for a full year’s data to act. Stricter monitoring of clinics is being ordered, coordination with anganwadis and ASHA workers is being stepped up, and there is a push to register unregistered female children below one year of age — a gap that itself hints at how many girl births go uncounted in the system. Dr Yadav had warned at the end of 2025 that sustaining momentum would be the real challenge. “We must remain alert.
Any medical practitioner found complicit in sex determination or illegal abortion will face strict action, including suspension or licence cancellation," he had said. That warning now looks prophetic. The Bottom Line Two reports, two time periods, two different lenses — but pointing in the same direction. The gains of 2025 are fragile, the 2026 early data is a red flag, and the deeper problem of son preference in Haryana is far from over. The real verdict on Gurugram’s sex ratio will come when the full 2026 data is in. Until then, the 862 figure is less a conclusion and more a warning — one that officials, to their credit, appear to be heeding. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: May 28, 2026, 15:09 IST News cities gurgaon For Every 1,000 Boys Born In Gurugram, How Many Girls? The Answer Was Getting Better — Until 2026 Disclaimer: Comments reflect users’ views, not News18’s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments...
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