India’s sex ratio at birth shows progress, but how can we sustain it?
The country has seen an improvement in sex ratio at birth, with 12 states performing better than the national average of 917.
On Wednesday, Union Health Minister JP Nadda said that India has seen an improvement in sex ratio at birth, with 12 states performing better than the national average of 917.
The minister cited data from the 2021–23 Sample Registration Survey (SRS), which shows that the Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) has risen from 899 in 2016–18 to 917 in 2021–23.
Sex ratio at birth refers to the number of female births per 1000 male births, usually expressed as the number of males per 100 females.
Minister Nadda also appreciated the steps taken by states like Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Uttarakhand, and Haryana, including sting operations and the creation of state task forces to curb gender-biased sex selection.
Chhattisgarh, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Nagaland, Sikkim, Meghalaya, and Kerala have recorded SRBs above or near the natural benchmark. Union Territories such as Ladakh and Puducherry show even higher ratios, with more girls than boys being born.
In contrast, states like Haryana, Punjab, Gujarat, and Rajasthan, which have historically seen greater gender imbalances, are now showing gradual improvement, but still remain below the national average. Chhattisgarh and Kerala have reported the highest Sex Ratio at Birth at 974 and 971, respectively, while Uttarakhand has the lowest (868).
It must be noted that SRB measures the number of girls born for every 1,000 boys, and in populations without gender bias, and universally, this figure is expected to be around 105 boys born for every 100 girls.
In India, a low sex ratio at birth (SRB) has been indicative of the widespread misuse of sex-selective practices and a preference for sons over daughters.
The recent increase in SRB therefore signals a progress towards revising this trend and moving towards gender equity.
Concerted policy efforts like the ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ scheme and a strict regulation of prenatal sex-determination under the Pre‑conception and Pre‑Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act (PC&PNDT) may be seeing results.
Better girls’ education, incentive schemes for girl children, more accountability at the local governance level, and improved access to health services can improve the country’s SRB and ensure that girls are valued, even before their births.
(With some inputs from PTI)
Edited by Megha Reddy