Chandigarh, March 19 -- In a bid to further tighten noose on those surreptitiously involved in gender determination and female foeticide, Haryana's health department on Tuesday set up a 12- member "State Task Force" to intensify surveillance and enforcement under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC-PNDT) Act.

The government has also decided to appoint five women sarpanches, preferably with all-girl children, as brand ambassadors for "Beti Bachao Beti Padhao" to drive community engagement in the campaign. This renewed push comes as Haryana continues to battle a low sex ratio at birth, with authorities vowing stricter enforcement and increased public awareness to address the issue.

As Haryana's skewed sex ratio rema...