Sex Ratio at Birth

Why in NEWS ?

• Arunachal Pradesh recorded the best sex ratio in the country while Manipur recorded the worst sex ratio, according to the 2018 report on “vital statistics of India based on the Civil Registration System”published by Registrar General of India.

About

• Arunachal Pradesh recorded 1,084 females born per thousand males, followed by Nagaland (965) Mizoram (964), Kerala (963) and Karnataka (957). The worst was reported in Manipur (757), Lakshadweep (839) and Daman & Diu (877), Punjab (896) and Gujarat (896).
• Delhi recorded a sex ratio of 929, Haryana 914 and Jammu and Kashmir 952.
• The ratio was determined on the basis of data provided by 30 States and Union Territories.
• Requisite information from six States namely Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal is not available.
• The number of registered births increased to 2.33 crore in 2018 from 2.21 crore registered births the previous year.
• The level of registration of births has increased to 89.3% in 2018 from 81.3% in 2009.
• The prescribed time limit for registration of birth or death is 21 days. Some States however register the births and deaths even after a year.
• The birth or death certificate is issued free of charge by the Registrar concerned if reported within 21 days.
• If reported within 21-30 days, it can be registered on payment of the prescribed fee. If the duration is more than 30 days but within a year, it can be registered with the written permission of the prescribed authority and on production of an affidavit made before a notary public or any other officer authorised by the State government and on payment of a fee.
• Births and deaths reported after one year of occurrence shall be registered only on an order of the Magistrate of the First Class after verifying the correctness and on payment of the prescribed fee.

What is Sex Ratio and Sex Ratio at Birth ?

• Sex ratio is the ratio of males to females in a population. That is, it is the proportion of males in a population, while Sex ratio at birth is number of females born per thousand males.
• As per Fisher’s principle, sex ratio is 1:1 for most sexually reproducing species.
• It is of major importance to the studies of anthropology and demography.
• Sex ratios are among the most basic of demographic parameters and provide an indication of both the relative survival of females and males and the future breeding potential of a population.
• The Sample Registration System (SRS) Report 2018 shows that sex ratio at birth in India, declined marginally from 906 in 2011 to 899 in 2018.
• While the sex ratio is 943 in India as per the 2011 census. That is, there are 943 females for every 1000 males
• A skewed sex ratio which is not in favour of women is a dangerous sign because it indicates a higher female foetal mortality rate.
• This is a particular problem in certain states where there is active sex selection by parents and girls are killed even before they are born.

Government’s Initiative

A. Prenatal Conception and Prenatal Determination Act (PC-PNDT)

• In 1994, the government took notice and introduced the Prenatal Diagnostics Techniques Act which punishes healthcare professionals for telling expectant parents the sex of a child with imprisonment and hefty fines.
• In 2003, when technologies that allowed gender-selection even before conception became available, the act was amended to become the Prenatal Conception and Prenatal Determination Act (PC-PNDT), but this Act has been a failure due to major gaps in the training of personnel implementing PC-PNDT.
• India must implement the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, 1994 more stringently and dedicate more resources to fighting the preference for boys.

B. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme

• The sharp decline in sex ratio as pointed by Census 2011 data called for urgent action. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme was launched in 2015 in Panipat, Haryana to address the issue of decline in child sex ratio and related issues of empowerment of girls and women over a life cycle continuum. It was a triministerial effort of the ministries of Women and Child Development, Health & Family Welfare and HRD (Ministry of Education).
• Increasing female education and economic prosperity help to improve the ratio. In this pursuit, the government’s Beti-Bachao Beti Padhao Campaign has achieved remarkable success in bringing behavioural change in the society.

C. Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA)

• An accredited social health activist (ASHA) is a community health worker instituted by the government of India's Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) as a part of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).
• The mission began in 2005; full implementation was targeted for 2012. Once fully implemented, there is to be "an ASHA in every village" in India, a target that translates into 250,000 ASHAs in 10 states.
• The grand total number of ASHAs in India was reported in July 2013 to be 870,089.
• The services of Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) can be leveraged, especially in rural areas as there is an urgent need to reach young people for reproductive health education and services as well as to cultivate gender equity norms.

D. Drugs and Cosmetics Act

• The Act regulates the import, manufacture, and distribution of drugs in India.
• The primary objective of the act is to ensure that the drugs and cosmetics sold in India are safe, effective and conform to state quality standards
• Drugs Technical Advisory Board decision to include ultrasound machines in the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 is a step in the right direction.
• The aim is to regulate all medical devices so that they meet certain standards of quality. Besides it will also make medical device companies accountable for quality and safety of their products.
• It will help in strengthening Prenatal Conception and Prenatal Determination Act (PC-PNDT).