Lok Sabha Question No. 3047 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-08-07
Subject: Child Sex Ratio
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: NAGARAJAN P.

**GOVERNMENT OF INDIA**

**MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE**

**DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE**

**LOK SABHA**

**UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3047**

**TO BE ANSWERED ON 7** **TH** **AUGUST, 2015**

**Child Sex Ratio**

**3047. SHRI P. NAGARAJAN:**

Will the Minister of **HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE** be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has taken note of the declining Child Sex Ratio (CSR) in the country;

(b) if so, the details thereof indicating the CSR during each of the last three census and the current census and the reasons therefor, State/UT-wise; and

(c) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to bring about parity in the CSR along with the time-frame, if any, set for achieving the said target?

**ANSWER**

**THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE**

**(SHRI JAGAT PRAKASH NADDA)**

(a) & (b):	Yes.  As per the Census, 2011 the child sex ratio (0-6 years) has shown a decline from 962 females per thousand males in 1981 to 918 females per thousand males in 2011. State-wise details are placed at **Annexure-I** .  Some of the reasons for the declining in Child Sex Ratio are neglect of girl child and low child sex ratio are son preference and the belief that it is only the son who can perform the last rites, that lineage and inheritance runs through the male line, sons will look after parents in old age, men are the bread winners etc. Small family norm coupled with availability of sex selection / determination tests is seen as an important catalyst in the declining Child Sex Ratio.

(c):	Government has adopted a multi-pronged strategy entailing schemes and programmes and awareness generation/advocacy measures to build a positive environment for the girl child through gender sensitive policies, provisions and legislation. The details of the major actions being taken by the Government are at **Annuexure-II** .

**Annexure-I**

**Child Sex Ratio in India (as per census 1981-2011)**

| **S. No.**   | **State/UTs**        | **Child Sex Ratio (0-6 year)**   |          |          |          |
|--------------|----------------------|----------------------------------|----------|----------|----------|
|              |                      | **1981**                         | **1991** | **2001** | **2011** |
|              | **INDIA**            | **962**                          | **945**  | **927**  | **918**  |
| 1            | JAMMU & KASHMIR      | NA                               | NA       | 941      | 862      |
| 2            | HIMACHAL PRADESH     | 971                              | 951      | 896      | 909      |
| 3            | PUNJAB               | 908                              | 875      | 798      | 846      |
| 4            | CHANDIGARH           | 907                              | 899      | 845      | 880      |
| 5            | UTTARAKHAND          | NA                               | NA       | 908      | 890      |
| 6            | HARYANA              | 902                              | 879      | 819      | 834      |
| 7            | DELHI                | 926                              | 915      | 868      | 871      |
| 8            | RAJASTHAN            | 954                              | 916      | 909      | 888      |
| 9            | UTTAR PRADESH        | 935                              | 928      | 916      | 902      |
| 10           | BIHAR                | 980                              | 959      | 942      | 935      |
| 11           | SIKKIM               | 978                              | 965      | 963      | 957      |
| 12           | ARUNACHAL PRADESH    | 997                              | 982      | 964      | 972      |
| 13           | NAGALAND             | 988                              | 993      | 964      | 943      |
| 14           | MANIPUR              | 986                              | 974      | 957      | 930      |
| 15           | MIZORAM              | 986                              | 969      | 964      | 970      |
| 16           | TRIPURA              | 972                              | 967      | 966      | 957      |
| 17           | MEGHALAYA            | 991                              | 986      | 973      | 970      |
| 18           | ASSAM                | NA                               | 975      | 965      | 962      |
| 19           | WEST BENGAL          | 981                              | 967      | 960      | 956      |
| 20           | JHARKHAND            | NA                               | NA       | 965      | 948      |
| 21           | ODISHA               | 995                              | 967      | 953      | 941      |
| 22           | CHHATTISGARH         | NA                               | NA       | 975      | 969      |
| 23           | MADHYA PRADESH       | 977                              | 952      | 932      | 918      |
| 24           | GUJARAT              | 947                              | 928      | 883      | 890      |
| 25           | DAMAN & DIU          | NA                               | 958      | 926      | 904      |
| 26           | DADRA & NAGAR HAVELI | 995                              | 1013     | 979      | 926      |
| 27           | MAHARASHTRA          | 956                              | 945      | 913      | 894      |
| 28           | ANDHRA PRADESH       | 992                              | 975      | 961      | 939      |
| 29           | KARNATAKA            | 974                              | 960      | 946      | 948      |
| 30           | GOA                  | 965                              | 964      | 938      | 942      |
| 31           | LAKSHADWEEP          | 964                              | 941      | 959      | 911      |
| 32           | KERALA               | 970                              | 958      | 960      | 964      |
| 33           | TAMIL NADU           | 967                              | 948      | 942      | 943      |
| 34           | PUDUCHERRY           | 975                              | 963      | 967      | 967      |
| 35           | A & N ISLANDS        | 978                              | 973      | 957      | 968      |

N.B. Child Sex Ratio is defined as number of female children per thousand male children in the age group 0-6 years.

Source: Registrar General of India, Ministry of Home Affairs.

**Annexure -II**

- The Government has intensified effective implementation of the Pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, 1994 and amended various provisions of the Rules.

- The Government is rendering financial support to the States and UTs for operationalization of PNDT Cells, Capacity Building, Orientation & Sensitisation Workshop, Information, Education and Communication campaigns and for strengthening structures for the implementation of the Pre-Conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic Technique (PC-PNDT) Act under the National Health Mission (NHM).

- The Minister of Health and Family Welfare has requested all the State Governments to strengthen implementation of the Act and to ensure timely steps to stop sex determination.

- Program review at the state level has been intensified.  Five regional review workshops for North, West, Central, North East and Southern regions were organized at Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Imphal and Bhubneshwar during 2014-15.

- National campaign “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” was launched in 100 gender critical districts in partnership with the Ministry of Woman and Child Development and the Ministry of Human Resourse Development.

- Directions given vide Order dated 16/09/2014 by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in the matter of WP(C) 349/2006  (Voluntary Health Association of Punjab) for effective implementation of the Act were communicated to the States/ UTs at the level of Secretary HFW to Chief Secretaries to ensure immediate compliance.

- In addition to the inspections by State  / District Authorities, inspections by the National Inspection and Monitoring Committee (NIMC) have been scaled up. In year 2014-15, 19 inspection visits have been undertaken in the states including Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Bihar, West Bengal, Delhi, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Manipur, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra and Meghalaya.

- States have been advised to focus on Districts/Blocks/Villages with low Child Sex Ratio to ascertain the causes, plan appropriate behaviour change communication campaigns and effectively implement provisions of the PC & PNDT Act.

- The Government of India has recently undertaken a media campaign for creating awareness about PC-PNDT Act.