Females per thousand Males 1961-2011
Years
1961
1971
1981
1991
2001
2011
Child sex ratio 0-6 age group
976
964
962
945
927
914
Girls surplus and deficit (%)*
+2.4
+1.15
+0.9
– 0.8
– 2.7
– 4.1
*With respect to natural sex ratio
states are facing deficit in the range of 4.0 to 7.3 per cent
and among the union territories of Delhi and Chandigarh,
each facing deficit of girls by above 9.0 per cent. Well over
Census 2001, the deficit has reduced by one per cent in
Haryana, one per cent in Himachal Pradesh, over 5.0 per
cent in Punjab, and above 2.0 per cent in Chandigarh. As
far as the rest of states in this region are concerned, the
deficit of girls is fast increasing and the existing ratio is far
below than the natural sex ratio as well as national sex
ratio.
family set up characterising with having fewer children; a
small family of which one must be a boy. Before the parents, there are several considerations: the nature of
localised risk that relates to family honour and law and
order, in-heritance strategies all they have to face rationally.
Further, in a situation where social insecurity is very high,
where no income guarantee and no insurance exists; it is
very tough to convince the parents that girls are assets and
will look after them in their old age. Virtually all kinds of
effective risk coping institutions are absent therefore, sons
presence create a psychological lifetime protection against
insecurity. Despite the Anti Dowry Act, the practice is con-
Causes of Decline
About the increasing masculinity in the child sex ratio,
there are different opinions: some say pre-natal diagnostic
techniques and non- enforcement of laws are responsible,
while others believe that there is an unholy alliance between tradition (son complex) and technology (ultra-sound)
that is creating havoc with the sex ratio in Indian society.
However, there are not enough efforts that can carefully
reduce the traditional influence of son preference, and that
increases the value of girls for the parents. The influences
of the factors that are deeply-rooted in our socio-economic
and cultural system have not been logically explained to
the masses in the changing family set-up.
Rural customary practices and laws are continued to regulate women’s right in the matter of gender and development
policy even in urban areas. So far, all the efforts by the
state and central governments, UN agencies, NGOs and
other organisations have been proved to be futile. After the
2001 census, it was expected that the child sex ratio must
have started improving; rather evidences are demonstrating a widespread practice of birth interventions resulting in
an all time lowest sex ratio in 2011 Census. The Census
2011 figure on child sex ratio just reveals that all this has
proved to be a hue and cry; the actual issues are grossly
missing with the missing female children.
The experience suggests that there have been a combination of factors namely; the urge to have a son, acceptance
of the small family norm as a result of the fertility transition,
access to pre-natal sex determination tests and abortion
has worsened the situation relating to the girl children. The
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