Sex Ratio Normalises: Pew Research Center

24/08/2022

Table of Contents

Sex Ratio Normalises: Pew Research Center

According to a study that was conducted by the Pew Research Center the sex ratio in India has slightly normalised what it was before. As per 2011 census the imbalance between the boys and girls sex ratio existed as 111 boys per 100 girls. In 2015-16, the ratio had slightly declined such as 109 boys per 100 girls as per National Family Health Survey report and further in 2019-20 ,the latest wave of National Family Health Survey reported that the sex ratio had more normalised to 108 boys per 100 girls. These all above data are studied by the Pew Research Center.

Important Data:

In 2010 ,the average number of missing baby girls was 4.8 lakh and it declined to 4.1 lakh in 2019, as per study. In this statement the term missing baby girls means if there were no abortion which was primarily female selective then how many more baby girls would be born in the country during the period.

In 1970, the occurrence of prenatal diagnostic technology made the female selective abortion to take place and the number of female selective abortion was increasing day by day. In 1950s-60s the sex ratio was slightly better as there were 105 male babies per 100 girls same as the world’s sex ratio. But after the arrival of new technology this ration went up. India legalised abortion in 1971 but the trend of sex ratio got higher.

Special points:

In 1980 ,there was also a new technology developed called ultrasound scan. It raised the number of female selective abortions and resulted in the widening of the ratio of sex in the country such as 108 boys per 100 girls in the early of 1980s and further it was such as 110 boys per 100 girls and made the situation worst.

According to the research of the Pew Research Center there were nine crore missing female births reported because of the female selective abortions during the period between 2000 and 2019.

Sex ratio in different communities:

According to the study conducted by the Pew Research Center the highest sex ratio is existed in Sikh community. The greatest gender gap is primarily among Sikhs such as there were 130 boys per 100 girls in the 2001 census. Further Sikhs had a slightly declined sex ratio in 2011 census such as 121 boys per 100 girls. Currently Sikhs have the sex ratio such as 110 boys per 100 girls the same as the majority of Hindus in the country have, according to the lasted National Family Health Survey report.

Both Christians and Muslim have the sex ratio 105 boys per 100 girls and 106 boys per 100 girls respectively what is in the natural form.

Conclusion:

This report shows a positive response towards the sex ratio in the India. Now we have a slightly better ratio among boys and girls. We need to hold this ratio in the upcoming years.