Kill the girl child, let the woman live

Here’s a paradox: Even as India continues to kill off its girl children even before they are born, those that are born tend to live longer. This fact emerges from Census 2011, which shows that while the child sex ratio (number of girls per 1,000 boys in the 0-6 age group) is declining, the overall sex ratio (number of females per 1,000 males) is rising.

[caption id=“attachment_7976” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Till 1991, the overall sex ratio was lower than the child sex ratio. Now it’s the other way around. Reuters”]  [/caption]

While the child sex ratio has been falling continuously since 1961 from 976 to 914 in the latest census, the overall sex ratio started climbing again from 1991’s nadir of 927 to 940 in 2011.

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What this suggests is that while the social preference for boys continues, girls that are born are probably hardier. Indian females are fitter than their male counterparts over the course of their lives. This is also observable from the fact that life expectancy for Indian females is at 66.9 years as compared with 63.9 years for males, according to Planning Commission estimates for 2001-06.

f we look at the overall sex ratios for each census, starting 1961 onwards, three of the five censuses have shown rising overall sex ratios. This trend has been particularly encouraging during the previous decades. In 2001, the sex ratio rose by six points to 933 from 927 during the previous census. It gained further in the latest census to 940, almost catching up with the ratio in 1961.

In comparison, the child sex ratio is a scandal. Between 1961 and now, the ratio has fallen by 62. This means there are 62 fewer girls for every 1,000 boys in the 0-6 age group. Till 1991, the overall sex ratio was lower than the child sex ratio. Now it’s the other way around.