Dr. Ganesh Rakh: A Doctor Who Celebrates the Birth of Baby Girls with Cake and Free Deliveries

NEWS CHARIOT : Pune-based Dr. Ganesh Rakh has become a symbol of hope and gender equality in India. In a society where the birth of a girl child is still seen with prejudice in many places, Dr. Rakh stands out by not only welcoming baby girls with open arms but also celebrating their birth in a unique way with cake, sweets, and free medical services.

Driven by the alarming decline in the female population due to deep-rooted gender bias and female foeticide, Dr. Rakh decided to take a stand. Since 2012, he has performed over 2,000 free caesarean deliveries for women who give birth to girls at his hospital. Each time a girl is born, he brings a cake, has it cut by the mother, and distributes sweets to everyone in the hospital transforming what is often viewed as a moment of disappointment in some households into one of joy and celebration.

Dr. Rakh points out that the shortage of girls is leading to severe social consequences in various states from men struggling to find brides to the emergence of dowry-in-reverse systems like Kanyashulkam, where the groom’s family pays to marry a girl. Despite the growing success of women in all spheres of life, the stigma around having daughters remains strong, and illegal abortions targeting female foetuses continue in parts of the country.

“Girls have the same right to be born, to grow, and to thrive as boys do,” says Dr. Rakh. “A society that tries to eliminate girl children cannot progress. Empowering and celebrating daughters is the only way forward.”

His initiative sends a powerful message: every girl born is a reason to celebrate — not just for her family, but for society at large.