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Sex Ratio in India

A Ministry of Statistics and Programme implementation report: Men and Women in India 2010 have found that the proportion of girls in the 0-14 age-group of the total population of women was 33% in 2005.The percentage fell to 31.9% in 2008. In case of the boys the trend was reverse. The proportion of boys in the age –group 0-14 age group in the total population of men increased from 31.8% in 2008 to 32.5% in 2008.

According to the report decreasing growth pattern of overall population is a healthy indicator; projected trend also indicates growth pattern for the girl child which may spur great social unrest.

The birth of boys as compared to the girls has been rising in India and more so since 1991.For every 100 girls born in 1991,105 boys are born which increased to 107 in 2001 and 112 in 2009.

According to gender activists the bias against the girl child was not the only factor to blame. It indicated failure of government policies on the skewed sex ratio. The law (Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act) to prevent female foeticide is poorly implemented. There has been no meeting to review the law in the past one year although it should happen every three months.

Although the number of boys is rising, the report said the number of women in the reproductive age-group (15-44) had changed a little. Reproductive age-group has inflated only by addition of 1.5% between 2000 and 2008.

The report further says Indian women still lag behind men on socio-economic criteria even though data shows improvement in all indicators for women.

Some statistics

The sex-ratio may have improved marginally with
  • 932 women against 1000 men in 2010
  • 927 women against 1000 men in 2001
The sex-ratio among live births have fallen
  • 112 boys are born against 100 girls in 2010
  • 107 boys were born against 100 girls in 2001
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