MUMBAI, Feb. 26 -- Even as the state's sex ratio stands at 913 girls to 1,000 boys, as many as 16 districts have recorded a ratio below 900:1,000 according to data tabled in the state assembly by the public health department on Wednesday. However, while 12 districts have reported a sex ratio of between 900 and 1,000 girls per 1,000 boys, eight districts have recorded a heartening figure of over 1,000 girls per 1,000 boys. The state government declared that the sex ratio at birth had shown a steady improvement in recent years, increasing from 876 girls per 1,000 boys during 2018-2020 to 894 in 2021-2022. The ratio further rose to 907 in 2023 and 912 in 2024, public health minister Prakash Abitkar informed the House. MLAs from the opposition had raised the issue through a Calling Attention Motion, expressing concern over the declining birth rate of girls in Maharashtra, particularly in rural areas. Legislators Jitendra Awhad, Hemant Ogale, Namita Mundada, Jyoti Gaikwad and Nitin Raut said that in some districts the sex ratio at birth had dropped to between 870 and 894. They demanded strict measures against doctors allegedly involved in illegal prenatal sex determination, including invoking the provisions of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act. They also sought the cancellation of registration of doctors found guilty in such cases....